As the owners of baseball's best record, the Boston Red Sox do not see live action until everybody has played and of course, they wait for Wednesday's A.L. Wild Card results. In the meantime, fans and haters, check out the Red Sox's ALDS schedule with game time and dates as they patiently sit back and keep their eye on results.
Game Date & Time: Game 1- Friday, Oct. 4, 3 p.m. ET
Game 2- Saturday, Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m. ET
Game 3- Monday, Oct. 7, TBD
The Red Sox will either face the Cleveland Indians or the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have the toughest road to the championship after having already played a one-game playoff against the Texas Rangers. They walked out victorious behind a dominant David Price and clutch Evan Longoria. The Indians patiently waited for their turn and the A.L. Wild Card game will be played on Wednesday.
The Red Sox have been extremely successful against the Rays and Indians in 2013. It's not a one-game series in the ALDS, so the Red Sox's chances of winning increase in a five-game series. Combined, the Red Sox went 18-8 against the Rays and Indians. They only lost one of seven games this season against the Tribe, while their division rival Rays only one seven of 19 games played this season.
Manager John Farrell has yet to name his Game 1 starter, but look for either Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester to get the ball in the first game of the series. Buchholz's disabled list stint did not prevent him from winning. He remained dominant despite missing over two months of baseball. Buchholz finished 3-1 in September with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings, though his controlled suffered a bit, walking seven and striking out 15 over this time span. In 2013, Buchholz finished with an 12-1 record with a 1.74 ERA.
Lester struggled again in 2013, but at least he finished with a record above .500, posting a 15-8 record with a 3.75 ERA. September was one of his better pitching months as the lefty went 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA over 35 innings pitched. In those three victories, Lester only allowed a run in each game, easily getting run support for the wins.
The Red Sox will be hunting for their their third championship in the last ten years. With role hitters up and down their lineup, they have a great chance of getting deep in the playoffs and once again holding the top spot in baseball as World Series winners.
