Schedule Gods Favor Red Sox In Wild Card Race

Even following their embarrassing three-game sweep to the Yankees this past weekend, the Red Sox enter the last week of the 2021 regular season in good position to secure a Wild Card spot and a return to the playoffs for the first time since capturing the 2018 World Series.

This confidence stems from the schedule the Red Sox will play over their last six games.  The first three games in Baltimore against the dreadful 50-106 Orioles.  The final three games in Washington against the slightly less dreadful 65-92 Nationals.

Entering this stretch, the Red Sox trail the Yankees by 1 game for the top Wild Card spot, the winner of which gets to host the Wild Card game.  The Blue Jays trail the Red Sox by 1 game for the second Wild Card spot, with the Mariners only 1.5 games behind the Red Sox.  The Athletics are a distant fifth in this race, 3.5 games back with 5 games left to play.

The Yankees have the roughest stretch, heading to Toronto for three with the Blue Jays before hosting the Rays for the final three.  The silver lining for the Yankees is that Tampa has secured the A.L. East and by the weekend should have secured the top overall record in the American League over the Astros.

The Blue Jays host the Yankees for three and then the Orioles for three.  The Mariners, who beat the Athletics last night, have two with Oakland and then three with the Angels.

If Boston fails to take advantage of their schedule good fortune, they have no one to blame but themselves.  Even simply taking 4-of-6 would get them to 92 wins, which should be enough to at least take the second Wild Card.  Sweeping both series gets them to 94 wins, which would likely be enough to host the one game Wild Card.

Alex Cora's crew left Fenway Park on Sunday night a battered team.  But the Orioles and Nationals provide his team with the opportunity to feel better, play better, and get into the playoffs.  They should be at Fenway Park on Tuesday, October 6 to host the Wild Card game.  My guess is that Toronto is opposing them (seeing as the Jays get the O's after the Yankees) but I'd never count out the Yankees at this time of year.