Here are the five biggest reasons the Boston Red Sox will take down the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS.
The Boston Red Sox enter the ALDS as the odds-on favorite to advance to the ALCS. To reach the winner of the Rangers-Blue Jays series, Boston will have to get past the Cleveland Indians, a team whose rotation suffered a handful of serious injuries down the stretch. With the American League’s deepest lineup, the Red Sox will pose a serious problem to the depleted Indians.
On the season, the Red Sox took four of six games from the Indians and outscored them 31-18. The depleted Indians hardly look like the team that will get in the way of the destined Red Sox-Cubs World Series that has the league and TV executives salivating. To make that happen and complete possibly the greatest send off in history for David Ortiz, Boston will have to get past the Indians, and here are the five reasons that will not be a problem.
5. We’re not in the AL Central anymore, Toto
The Cleveland Indians won 94 games this year and finished 27 games over .500. Breaking down that impressive record, however, shows that the Indians did most of their damage against the weak teams of the AL Central. The Tribe went 49-26 against their division playmates which included three teams that finished at .500 or lower and the 103-loss Minnesota Twins.
On the other hand, the Red Sox played in baseball’s best division. Four of the five teams finished in playoff contention, and the Sox still managed to finish 10 games above .500 against them. In September, with a heavy divisional slate, Boston managed to go 19-8, including an 11-game winning streak.
The Red Sox have played intense games against strong divisional rivals all season. The same cannot be said of the Indians as they waltzed over mediocre teams. Nothing against Cleveland, but all divisions and playoff teams are not created equal. The 93 wins generated by the Red Sox carry much more weight.