Boston Red Sox can eclipse 110 wins in 2018 regular season

With 21 games left, the Boston Red Sox are just 13 wins shy of being the 7th team in Major League Baseball history to win 110 games.

Not long ago, the conversation surrounding the Boston Red Sox was whether or not they would challenge the major league record of 116 wins in a single season set by the 2001 Seattle Mariners. However, as the Red Sox have faded to the tune of an 8-7 record since August 20 the conversation has changed to staying afloat, getting their players healthy and gearing up for the playoff run. That being said, Boston still has a good chance to eclipse the rare 110 win mark.

There have been just six 110-win seasons in MLB history, the latest being the aforementioned 116-win season by the 2001 Mariners. The Red Sox currently sit with a 97-44 record with 21 games left to play meaning that they will have to go 13-8 the rest of the way.

Their schedule the rest of the season is a mixed bag of contenders and teams that are out of the hunt this season.

Their quest for 110 wins begins with a three-game series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Boston split a four-game set against the Astros from May 31-June 3. The Astros have been playing good baseball lately but the Red Sox are expected to benefit from the return of ace Chris Sale in the series.

The Red Sox stay home to face divisional foe the Toronto Blue Jays beginning on Tuesday, September 11. Boston has had the upper hand on the Blue Jays thus far this season, going 12-4 against them and much of that was before Toronto traded away All-Star J.A. Happ, outfielder Curtis Granderson, and relievers Roberto Osuna and John Axford.

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Next, Boston will host the New York Mets in their final interleague series of the season. The Red Sox are historically a dominant team in interleague play with a 241-159 record, the best of any team since the start of interleague play in 1997. That trend has continued this season as Boston has gone 14-3 this season, good for the best mark of any team in interleague play. As for the Mets, outside of ace Jacob DeGrom, they have had a subpar season. They have gone 7-10 in interleague play thus far this season.

Boston then departs for their final road trip of the season and it will start in New York against the New York Yankees. The Yankees currently have the second-best record in baseball this season sitting at 87-52. Boston has an 8-5 record against the Yankees this season and are fresh off a 4-game sweep of New York from August 2-August 5.

The Red Sox will then venture to Ohio and face the Cleveland Indians. Boston split a four-game set with the tribe at Fenway Park from August 20-23. Cleveland sits with a comfortable lead atop the American League Central and recently acquired former MVP third baseman, Josh Donaldson. However, it is unknown if he will be healthy enough to contribute to the Indians down the stretch.

The Red Sox then return home and host the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game series. Boston has dominated the birds this season going 14-2 against their divisional foe. Baltimore has struggled mightily this season to the worst record in baseball at 41-98.

Boston wraps up the season by hosting the Yankees for three games.

As mentioned before, the Red Sox need to go 13-8 from here on out to eclipse 110 wins. The simplest road to this would be to play .500 baseball or better against their fellow contenders the Astros, Yankees, and Indians. If they did go 6-6 against those teams, Boston would then have to go 7-2 in their 9 matchups against their weaker opponents the Blue Jays, Mets, and Orioles.