Can you believe what’s happening in Boston? The Red Sox have ripped off an absolutely insane 12-game win streak, and suddenly, everyone in the American League East needs to pay attention. They are red hot, making a furious charge back into the wild card race, but there’s still a pretty big mountain to climb: they’re seven games back in the division. That’s a huge hill, no doubt, but the momentum? It’s all theirs.
The Yanks Are Slipping and It’s Not a Coincidence
While Boston is on fire, the teams ahead of them are definitely not. The New York Yankees have been in a serious slump ever since Aaron Judge got hurt, and it shows. He’s still shut down from all baseball activities, his return is totally up in the air, and without their big slugger, the Yankees are sliding hard. They might have a five-game lead over the Red Sox right now, but that gap feels a lot smaller with the way they’re playing. It’s a tough break for them, but it’s opening a huge door for Boston.
August Will Be the True Test Against Tampa Bay
Then there are the Tampa Bay Rays, who are also ahead of the Red Sox. Boston is actually trying to sweep them this Sunday. The Rays are a good team, we know that, but they’ve got their weaknesses. Here’s something wild though: the Rays actually have the easiest remaining schedule in the division, while the Yankees are staring down the toughest. If the Yankees continue to struggle without Judge, the Red Sox could find themselves in second place in the division by the end of August. After that, it’s going to be an absolute mad dash to the finish line, especially against the Rays.
What’s really going to decide things are the head-to-head matchups. The Red Sox still have four massive games left against both the Rays and the Yankees. Those are the ones that are truly key to winning the division. And get this: both of those crucial series are set to happen after the midway point of August. Plus, there’s a slim chance Garrett Crochet or Roman Anthony could be back by then. Imagine if both are back for the final month of the season? That would be huge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Leave a Reply