After a rough set of games on the road against the Yankees and A's, Boston Red Sox fans began to feel a little antsy about the final few games of the season. With the Guardians storming back and an American League West battle complicating the Wild Card standings down the home stretch, the last thing Boston needs is to be dropping games.
Fortunately, two wins in a series with the Rays at home will have fans feeling a little less worried. Still, the Blue Jays and Tigers feature as the group’s final opponents, representing the hardest remaining schedule among AL contenders. Some bad luck in the final week of the season could see the Sox drop out of playoff contention altogether.
However, all is not lost, and even amid a stretch of woeful offensive performances. Boston radio hosts Zolak & Bertrand of 98.5 The Sports Hub state adamantly: “If the Red Sox collapse…They’re not gonna collapse, they’re making the playoffs.” The math is in Boston’s favor, according to the hosts.
“I think they could lose two out of every three and still get in,” said Marc “Beetle” Bertrand. Scott Zolak thought it might require .500 play the rest of the way. The pair end up settling on 87 wins as the Sox’s ‘magic number,’ a figure they’re two victories away from achieving.
Boston radio hosts suggest Red Sox's current win pace will be enough to make the playoffs
The Guardians have been a consistent presence in the postseason conversation for years, and their 9-1 record over the last 10 games has brought a team that’s been largely out of the mix back loudly into the conversation. As it stands Tuesday, Cleveland and Houston are tied for the final Wild Card spot (Cleveland owns the tiebreaker), with the Sox one game ahead of the pair and four games back from New York.
The pair anticipate a sputtering out in Cleveland, which could happen early in the week as the playoff challengers head to Detroit for a three game set before heading down to Texas. The 2025 season has been particularly wild, and the Rangers are another team still seemingly on the cusp. Five games back from the third Wild Card berth, if the Rangers beat up on the Twins and things go poorly for the Guardians in Detroit (a team still battling for improved postseason position), the Rangers could end up pushing Houston down to the wire, even with Houston holding the tie breaker.
Things may already be looking up for the Red Sox, with Wilyer Abreu activated and ready to add some urgency to a lineup that’s been lacking since Roman Anthony went down to start September. This team has the makings of a dangerous playoff contender, especially in the toss-up AL this season, and it looks like getting there might just be a little less stressful for fans than it seems on paper.