The Red Sox’s Tuesday loss in Anaheim didn’t just stop a winning streak. It also tightened the math in the American League East.
Boston fell 6-1 to the Angels after taking Game 1 of the series on Monday, and the night turned into a rough one for the lineup. Patrick Sandoval gave the Red Sox six innings and seven strikeouts, but he also allowed four runs, leaving Boston in position to need more from its bats than it got. The offense managed only four hits, with two of them coming from Nick Sogard.
That kind of night can happen, especially after a five-game run like the one Boston had been riding. The bigger issue for the Red Sox was that the teams ahead of them both handled business too. The Rays beat the Braves 7-1, and the Yankees topped the Rockies 5-3 with Cam Schlittler on the mound and Aaron Judge back in the lineup.
So instead of gaining ground, Boston slipped farther back. The Red Sox now sit three games behind the Yankees in the standings and seven behind the Rays in the division race.
The numbers around that chase are getting clearer by the day. Boston’s elimination number in the AL East is down to 11, while its elimination number for the top Wild Card spot is 15.
The Red Sox are currently in the No. 2 Wild Card position in the American League, so they’re still very much in the postseason picture.
As for the division itself, the Rays remain in control. For Boston to make that race interesting, it would take a big Red Sox winning streak and a Rays skid at the same time.
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