With the Boston Red Sox losing their weekend series against Toronto and the Yankees not slowing down, it may be time to shift focus away from the division.
After this weekend I think it’s safe to say that winning the division may need a bit of a miracle. The Red Sox were coming off of a momentous series win against the Minnesota Twins when the lowly Blue Jays came to town. A win in game one would be wiped out by a massive lead being blown in the second tilt and getting finally embarrassed in the series finale.
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With the conclusion of the Toronto series, the Sox now find themselves 8.0 games back of the Yankees in the standings and all of their hard work has been erased. Going into this six-game homestand it felt like the Red Sox had a serious chance at challenging for the AL East, especially with the London clash with the Yankees rapidly approaching.
But in what felt like a blink of an eye this weekend Boston went from a rebounding team that was ready to storm the gates to a sad and beaten battalion. In the same sense though Boston is 7-3 in their last 10, just a shade behind New York’s 8-2. It’s just a matter of when they lose and how they lose that really takes the wind out of the sails.
When looking at how this season has gone I have to admit that it may be time to wave the white flag on the division. The Yankees aren’t invincible but it feels like the only time they lose is on a night where the Red Sox have also lost. As much as I’d love to have another AL East title in the record books I’d be just as happy getting a Wild Card spot and getting to the show.
Currently, Boston finds themselves in 4th place in the Wild Card standings, just a single game off of the second WC spot. Making up a single game seems a hell of a lot more realistic than trying to topple an 8-game mountain. It may seem like signaling defeat and giving up but with the narrative of this season, it will be the path of least resistance.
The bullpen is like watching Jekyll and Hyde on a nightly basis and can’t be relied upon day to day. The starters aren’t much better as we’ve seen great showings from David Price and Rick Porcello lately just to be surrounded but horrendous starts. And then we get to the offense that seems like it takes entire nights off. I can’t imagine the Rays, Indians, and Rangers holding their spots above the Red Sox for too much longer.
We all know that there is plenty of season left and at any moment Boston can get white hot and go on a serious run. I sure as hell wouldn’t be opposed to that but this season it feels like every time something gets going it gets extinguished just as fast. Putting the focus on the Wild Card could also allow the team to relieve some of the stress of the division.
The Red Sox still have a strong chance of making it to October and getting a chance at defending their World Series crown. They may have to give up their hopes of doing so via the AL East but getting to the postseason is the ultimate goal. Boston has shown in past years that winning a World Series through the Wild Card can be just as sweet.