The Boston Red Sox have handled business all series long against the Baltimore Orioles, and with one game left, they’re still in position to finish the job.
Boston will hand the ball to Payton Tolle on Sunday afternoon with a chance to complete a four-game sweep of an American League East opponent that has been on the wrong end of everything this weekend. Saturday was more of the same: a 5-0 Red Sox win, Boston’s second straight shutout. And it came even with Ceddanne Rafaela, Caleb Durbin and Adley Rutschman all out of the lineup, while Willson Contreras remains on the Injured List and was unavailable as well.
That kind of absences list usually tilts a game the other way. Not this time.
Instead, the Red Sox keep moving themselves into a better spot in the American League Wild Card picture. They’ve cut into the gap on the New York Yankees during this series, and Boston now sits 3 1/2 games back of its biggest rival with 19 games left.
A three-out-of-four series loss to the Yankees, along with the season series, looked like it might slam the door on any real run at the top Wild Card spot. But Boston is still hanging around.
The Yankees still control that race, but the margin is not exactly safe. One rough series can change the whole look of it.
Baltimore, meanwhile, is spiraling. The Orioles have dropped five straight after appearing to be a legitimate playoff club just a week ago. They’re now three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot, while the Texas Rangers sit one game ahead of them on the outside looking in.
And the Blue Jays? They’ve been one of the surprises of the year. It’s been a rough season in Toronto, and yet if the season ended today, they’d be in the playoffs.
That’s what makes Boston’s sweep chance on Sunday matter. The Red Sox have shaved the Yankees’ lead a bit, and they’ve put another dent in Baltimore’s postseason hopes at the same time.
In Other News...
Red Sox Prospect Is Easing One Big Adley Rutschman Trade Fear
Hayden Mullins has been one of the quieter bright spots in the aftermath of Bostons Aug. 3 deal for Adley Rutschman, and the pitching prospect is doing his part to ease some of the early anxiety that followed the move. Mullins has continued piling up solid outings, trimming his season ERA and giving the Red Sox a better-looking strikeout-to-walk ratio as he settles into the stretch run.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Mullins has not just been serviceable, he has been consistently effective, which matters when a trade of that size invites instant second-guessing. The other side of the equation has been encouraging too, since the players Boston received in the swap have also turned in strong work in Baltimores system, leaving the deal in a place where both clubs can point to early returns and still wonder how it will age. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face A Tough Ranger Suarez Decision At The Worst Time
Bostons rotation has started to show the strain that tends to surface in September, with a few starters wobbling in recent outings and the group lacking the crispness it had earlier in the year. That is what makes the conversation around Ranger Suarez so tricky. The Red Sox need stability, but they also need to decide how much weight to give a pitchers recent form versus the kind of track record that can matter most once the games tighten up.
Jonathan Papelbon has already made clear where he stands, saying he would leave Suarez out of a playoff rotation because of the way things have gone lately. Still, Suarez brings something Boston cannot ignore if the club is building a postseason plan for October: he has been effective in the playoffs before, with a strong ERA and WHIP that suggest a starter who can handle pressure when it matters most. The Red Sox are being asked to choose between what they have seen recently and what Suarez has shown in bigger moments, and that is not an easy call this time of year. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Just Took A Late-Season Turn Fans Feared
Justin Slaten had only just started to throw again in his recovery before the right elbow inflammation symptoms flared up and shut him back down. For a Red Sox bullpen that has managed to keep its performance in a strong place, the setback is a reminder that late-season stability can change quickly, especially when one of the relievers the club hoped to count on is not able to build any momentum.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet are both moving ahead in rehab assignments, giving the staff at least a chance to get reinforcements later on. Slatens return, though, is now far less certain than it was even a short time ago, and for a bullpen that has been one of the teams quiet strengths, his situation is becoming one of the more important health stories to watch. [Read more 🡒]