Why Boston Has a Chance at the Playoffs. Sort of.
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by user Ross K.
Sure, the Boston Red Sox are nine games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. Sure, it's Sept. 4. Sure, the Red Sox are missing a handful of their key players. Sure, a lot of BoSox fans have thrown in the towel.
But Boston is getting Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon back tonight and David Ortiz is scheduled to be back tomorrow. The return of these players alone should be able to give the Sox enough to take on the other Sox at Fenway starting tonight and the rest of their opponents down the stretch.
So do the Sox have a shot at catching up with the Yankees?
Well, overall the Red Sox have a fairly easy stretch run:
- Three vs. White Sox
- Three vs. KC (already mentioned)
- Three at Baltimore
- Four at Yankees
- Three vs. Minnesota
- Four at Toronto
- Two vs. Tampa Bay
- Three vs. Baltimore
Let's say the BoSox split or win all of these series. It's highly possible. Most of the teams they're facing have been out of the race for awhile and don't have the power to take down a complete Boston squad. I see them winning 17 of 25 down the stretch. Not too shabby, right?
Here's the Yankees schedule down the stretch:
- Three at Kansas City
- Four at Baltimore
- Three vs. Tampa
- Four vs. Boston
- Three at Toronto
- Four at Tampa
- Three vs. Baltimore
- Three vs. Toronto
Those teams look familiar? Get rid of the Twins and White Sox who are fighting for the AL wildcard and throw in some more games with Tampa and Toronto. I think they'll take 19 of 27, leaving Boston left 10 or 11 games out instead of nine. Even if Boston would sweep the rest of their games, the Yankees have too easy of a schedule to be caught.
However, the Red Sox have quietly stayed only 6.5 games out of the AL Wild Card and they play both the White Sox and Twins in the stretch run.
Is there hope for the Red Sox to win the AL Wild Card?
Here's Chicago's September schedule:
- Three at Boston
- Four vs. Cleveland
- Three at Angels
- Three at Oakland
- Three vs. Detroit
- Four vs. Seattle
- Three at Cleveland
- Three at Minnesota
Here is the Twins':
- Three at Tampa
- Four vs. Detroit
- Three vs. Oakland
- Four at Cleveland
- Three at Boston
- Three at Baltimore
- Four at Kansas City
- Three at Chicago
I see Chicago winning only 13 of 26, falling out of the race. Detroit is too tough, they have to play Minnesota and Boston whom they are competing with and honestly, I think the Tribe will get their revenge and spoil the White Sox chances.
Minnesota I think will pull out 16 of 27 which would keep them a few games on top of Boston. However with Chicago, Boston, Detroit and the semi-hot Indians on the schedule, it could much be fewer wins.
With the right turn of events anything could happen, even the Boston Red Sox making their way into the playoffs. Is that good or bad? That's a completely different topic to analyze.
Date
Mon 09/04/06, 9:10 am EST
