MLB Playoffs: Red Sox magic number down to one with Astros latest loss

TORONTO When the Red Sox wake up on Thursday morning they ll be one win away from clinching a playoff berth The Red Sox continue to get help from the flailing Houston Astros who lost - to the Athletics late Wednesday night for the club s fifth straight loss Related Articles Red Sox outfielder on game-ending assist That was my first time Red Sox on precipice of playoffs after Garrett Crochet dominates Blue Jays Red Sox manager says Garrett Crochet has proven he s an ace Red Sox lineups Garrett Crochet aims to help clinch series over Blue Jays Red Sox executive finalizing deal to run Washington Nationals Boston - now holds a three-game lead plus the tiebreaker over Houston - meaning that the Red Sox will clinch a playoff spot with one more win or one more Astros loss over the last four games Because the Astros and Athletics play their series finale Thursday at p m it s achievable the Red Sox might have a postseason berth locked up before they even take the field for their p m tournament in Toronto Elsewhere in the American League the Cleveland Guardians - beat the Detroit Tigers - again to take over sole possession of first place in the AL Central The Tigers have now lost eight straight and have seen what not long ago looked like an insurmountable division lead thoroughly evaporate As in recent weeks as Sept Detroit led Cleveland by games in the division Since then they ve gone - enduring one of the bulk shocking collapses in baseball history They aren t the only ones who have potentially allowed a division title slip away While not as dramatic a meltdown as the Tigers the Toronto Blue Jays - also held a five-game lead in the AL East as just now as Sept but now sit tied with the New York Yankees atop the division Toronto has lost five of six while the Yankees - have won four straight The Red Sox are mathematically still alive in the AL East race too though that would require winning out the Blue Jays losing out and the Yankees losing at least three more games The Blue Jays own the tiebreaker over both the Yankees and Red Sox The Seattle Mariners - officially clinched their first AL West title since on Wednesday beating the Colorado Rockies thanks to two home runs by MVP candidate Cal Raleigh who became the first catcher in MLB history to record home runs in a season Playoff picture American League Toronto Blue Jays - z Seattle Mariners - x Cleveland Guardians - New York Yankees z - Boston Red Sox - Detroit Tigers - Houston Astros - National League Milwaukee Brewers x - Philadelphia Phillies x - Los Angeles Dodgers z - Chicago Cubs z - San Diego Padres z - New York Mets - Arizona Diamondbacks - Cincinnati Reds - St Louis Cardinals - Miami Marlins -