Red Sox Need to Win AL East

    Currently the Red Sox sit comfortably with an eight game lead in the Wild Card and a half game back in the AL East.  It is pretty safe to say that the Sox will make the playoffs this year.  However, how we finish will determine who we will play and there is a distinct advantage to winning our division.
    If the season ended today, the Yankees would be crowned AL East champs and face the Tigers who would come out of the AL Central.  The Sox would have to go on the road to face the Texas Rangers.  Neither the Yankees or the Red Sox want to face the Rangers.  They are the reigning American League champions who possess a potent lineup and a terrific pitching staff.  Sure, the Tigers have the likely Cy Young winner in Justin Verlander but he is just one pitcher compared to the deep, predominantly left-handed staff of the Rangers.  Also, if we were to win our division and face the Tigers, Verlander would be pitching in Fenway Park in front of a hostile crowd instead of facing C.J. Wilson in Texas.  The Rangers starting pitching staff consists of LHP C.J. Wilson, RHP Colby Lewis, LHP Matt Harrison, RHP Alexi Ogando and LHP Derek Holland.  Those pitchers are much tougher to solve than the Tigers right-handers in Justin Verlander, Brad Penny, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister.  With the Sox having a ton of left handed batters, it would be much tougher to face the left-handed pitchers of the Rangers.  Also, the Rangers lineup is deeper and more powerful than the Tigers   Bottom line is, we need to win our division to avoid playing the Texas Rangers first round.
    The Rangers this season are 4-0 against the Red Sox with all four games being played in Texas.  I personally was there for the opening three game series against the Sox to begin the year and witnessed how good this team really is.  They dominated us in every aspect of the game and swept us into our horrific start to the season.  Since then the Red Sox are 77-46 and were playing great ball until this recent string of injuries.  We need to get healthy and start winning more games so we don't lose any more ground on the Yankees half game lead.  Some people may say that the Sox can "coast" to the playoffs and rest certain people ensure they are healthy when the playoffs start.  We do want to get everyone healthy but we cannot lose too many games down the stretch if we want to win our division and give ourselves the best chance of advancing to the ALCS.  That is why we must win our division, let the Yankees play the Rangers, whom they lost to last year, and we'll worry about beating the AL Central winner.