How the Boston Red Sox can win the World Series
The Boston Red Sox clinched the AL East pennant on Saturday with a victory over the Astros that forced the Yankees, at last, to the wild-card game. The Red Sox' 93-69 regular-season record was the worst among American League division winners, meaning they will not have home-field advantage for the ALDS and will open the ALCS at home only if the wild-card team ousts the Indians in the playoffs' first round.
The Red Sox will travel to Houston to face the same Astros team they just hosted for a four-game set in Fenway, with the stakes now magnified in the five-game divisional series. On paper, the deeper and more balanced Houston club appears to have the advantage, but the Sox are undoubtedly a good baseball team and minor upsets are common in the MLB postseason: Any good baseball team can outplay any other in a short series.
Boston happened to be this author's preseason pick to win the World Series, and for the sake of continuity I have reiterated a Sox-over-Dodgers pick the Paste BN staff postseason picks published this week. I like gloating, so I have a horse in this race. It's maybe not the most decorated horse in this particular race, but it starts at the same gate as the seven others that reach the LDS round.
Lots of things will need to go right for whatever club emerges as the 2017 World Series winner, and the following are by no means the only routes for the Red Sox to postseason success. These are just five keys for the Red Sox to win it all for the fourth time since 2004: