The Boston Red Sox are officially postseason participants this season, having clinched their playoff spot with a win over the Detroit Tigers on September 26. They'll face their archrival New York Yankees in the Wild Card round.
There's plenty of reasons for optimism for those that want to believe in the odds of a deep playoff run; the Red Sox are above .500 at home (47-33), on the road (41-40), and against teams with a winning record (42-41) this season. They also took the season series from New York, 9-4.
However, there are some flaws which could prove fatal under the bright lights of October.