Red Sox Playoff Odds: Boston can be saved despite falling harder than Wild Card foes

The final month of the MLB regular season has arrived, and the Boston Red Sox are still one spot out of the third American League wild card slot.

The Orioles, Twins and Royals have owned the AL's three wild card spots for a few weeks running, and the Sox haven't gained much ground, despite the two AL Central clubs giving them plenty of opportunities.

The Royals have lost all six of their games from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2. The Twins have won three of their last eight. But Boston couldn't generate any momentum during its opponents' skids. The Sox's bats haven't been able to break through, and they've scored just eight runs in their last five games.

All hope isn't lost for the Red Sox — while they haven't gained any ground, they also haven't lost much. Boston hasn't been closer than three games out of the wild card since Aug. 17 and despite its many recent losses, it remains within striking distance of the struggling Royals and Twins.

The Red Sox's wild card dreams hinge on their upcoming series with the White Sox

The Red Sox's upcoming weekend series against the MLB-worst White Sox could be a "last stand," of sorts. Boston has three games against Chicago at Fenway Park before a tough stretch against the Orioles and Yankees, and the series is a must-win, maybe even a must-sweep situation to maintain the Sox's playoff hopes.

Even if the Red Sox take all three games from the White Sox, the two AL Central teams ahead of them in the standings need to continue their cold streaks for them to make any progress toward the wild card. Kansas City is in the throes of a tough stretch in its schedule, as it needs to finish out a series against the first-place Guardians, then the Twins and Yankees follow. If the Red Sox can maintain close proximity to the third wild card spot, it could take over if the Twins or Royals sweep the other.

But Boston needs to play well for that to happen, and it split its last series with the White Sox, to the shock and upset of many fans. The best way for the Red Sox to make their case for the wild card is to play good baseball in winnable series, and they have a golden chance against the worst team in MLB, and maybe in history.

Alex Cora admitted his team is running out of time, and with 23 games remaining in the hardest second-half schedule in the league, they have more than just time running against them. The Red Sox need to pick up wins wherever necessary, and sweeping the White Sox has become key to their wild card dreams.

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