The Boston Red Sox are sitting in second place in the American League Wild Card standings. If the season ended today, the Red Sox would travel to the Bronx for one game against the Yankees.
New York left Boston with a two-game lead in the Wild Card. That advantage has been narrowed to one game because of the Blue Jays victory over the Yankees on Wednesday. If Toronto wins tonight and the Red Sox prevail, home field is fair game for every team in the race.
For Boston, it starts with winning their second straight contest against the Orioles.
Wednesday Night Gains
On Wednesday evening, the Red Sox moved up one game following their 6-0 win at Oriole Park. Boston began looking like their winning selves by scoring six runs and pitching a shutout against the worst team in baseball.
J.D. Martinez and Hunter Renfroe stole the show, blasting back-to-back shots to extend Boston’s lead. Martinez was three of four with two runs and three hits, including his 28th bomb of the season.
Alex Cora finally seemed pleased with his club after snapping the four-game losing streak.
“We did a lot of good things. Overall, a pretty good game. Our goal was to come here and win the series, and we have a chance to do that tomorrow. We’re a lot better when the big boys do damage. That was a good first step.”
Wednesday was the first time the Red Sox scored over three runs since the beginning of the series against New York.
Look Ahead to Thursday
The Red Sox are heavily favored in Thursday’s contest against the Orioles. This will be the final matchup before they head to Washington to cap off the regular season. Nick Pivetta will throw for Boston against Alexander Wells of Baltimore.
Pivetta has not been great in 2021, but he is an ace compared to Wells. Pivetta is 9-7 with a 4.52 ERA compared to Wells at 1-3 with a 7.61.
If Pivetta can pitch around Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins, the Red Sox should win the series on Thursday.
Blue Jays Help Red Sox
The Blue Jays held off a Yankees rally late in Wednesday’s contest to win 6-5. Bo Bichette had two homers in the win, showing his clutch ability at just 23 years of age.
New York’s loss put the site of the Wild Card in question. If the Yankees lose and the Red Sox win Thursday, these teams will be tied. Additionally, the Blue Jays would be tied with the Mariners at 0.5 games back of New York and Boston.
The Red Sox finish the season against the Washington Nationals, who are in last place in the National League East. The Yankees will host the Rays in the Bronx, while the Blue Jays finish with the Orioles and the Mariners end with the Angels.
If Boston and Toronto win on Thursday, things will become very interesting in the American League.
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