Boston Red Sox Pull into Tie For Final Playoff Spot in American League

A soft portion of the schedule, plus two losses in a row from the Seattle Mariners, have the Red Sox in a tie for the third and final wild card spot.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a home run against the Colorado Rockies in the seventh inning at Fenway Park on July 8. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

With six straight wins, and two straight losses by the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox have pulled into a tie for the third and final wild card spot in the American League, entering play on Thursday.

It may be a little too early to scoreboard watch, but the longer the Red Sox stay in this spot, the more likely they are to buy at the trade deadline, and the less likely they are to sell.

And for a fanbase that hasn't been to the playoffs since the 2021 season, that's a welcome idea.

Boston has cleaned up on a soft portion of its schedule, sweeping the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies in the last six games, and they are set to get even stronger in the coming days.

Masataka Yoshida, out the entire season to this point, returned for Wednesday's contest, and third baseman Alex Bregman could be back in the fold in a matter of days as he recovers from a quad injury.

Furthermore, the Red Sox have an ace in Garrett Crochet, an All-Star closer in Aroldis Chapman and young players like Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela who continue to find their way at the big-league level.

The test will get stiffer on Thursday night though, as the Red Sox welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to town for the first of four games. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET as Taj Bradley (TBR) pitches against Walker Buehler (SOX).

Bradley is 5-6 with a 4.79 ERA, while Buehler is 6-6 with a 6.25.

Related MLB Stories