Red Sox's AL East Elimination Number Shrinks After 6-1 Angels Loss

The Boston Red Sox have a lot of work to do in the AL East.

Sep 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey (53) talks with pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) and players as they take on the Seattle Mariners in the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox have been red-hot over the last week, but the Los Angeles Angels were able to come out on top on Tuesday night.

Boston won Game 1 against the Angels on Monday and then the Angels followed up with a 6-1 win on Tuesday. The Red Sox sent Patrick Sandoval to the hill and he allowed four runs in six innings, to go along with seven strikeouts. He gave Boston a chance to win the game, but the offense had a tough night. The Red Sox combined for just four base hits, including two to Nick Sogard. Nights like these are going to happen. The Red Sox entered the game with a five-game winning streak. That doesn't last forever.

The unfortunate thing for Boston was that while it lost on Tuesday, both of its top American League East rivals came out on top. The Tampa Bay Rays took down the Atlanta Braves, 7-1. The New York Yankees took down the Colorado Rockies, 5-3, with Cam Schlittler on the mound and Aaron Judge back in the lineup. Now, the Red Sox are three games behind the Yankees in the standings and seven games behind the Rays for the top spot in the American League East.

The Red Sox Have An Uphill Battle In The AL East

Sep 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the last few weeks, one term that has been tossed around Major League Baseball a lot is the "magic number." It is the combination of wins needed by a team and losses by rivals for a club to earn a playoff spot. On the other hand, the elimination number is the combination of losses needed by a team and wins by a rival for a club to be eliminated from something. For Boston, it's going to be in the playoffs, unless it goes out goes on one of the coldest streaks you've ever seen.

The Red Sox have the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the American League. While Boston isn't technically out of the race in the American League East, things aren't looking great on that front. Boston's elimination number in the AL East is down to 11. Boston is three games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot right now. The Red Sox's elimination number for the top Wild Card spot is at 15.

When it comes specifically to the AL East crown, the Rays are clearly in the driver's seat. For Boston to make it interesting, the Red Sox need a long winning streak and a long losing streak from the Rays at the same time.