Red Sox Climb Over .500 & Grab 3rd AL Wild Card Berth With 12th Straight Win

The Boston Red Sox have grabbed the bull by the horns and beat the first-place Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 on the strength of two 2-run HR by Wilyer Abreu.

Not only is it the Red Sox's 12th straight win but it puts them over the .500 mark for the first time in 2026 with a 49-48 record. 

That 49-48 record is good enough for the third AL Wild Card berth which they now share with the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians. A mere 24 days ago, the Red Sox were 6 games back of that AL Wild Card berth.

At the All-Star Break, I noted the Red Sox would immediately be tested by the Rays. With yesterday's doubleheader sweep and today's victory, they have passed the test. 

And yet it remains unclear if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers at or before the August 3rd trade deadline.

At this point, I'm not sure how the Red Sox could be anything other than buyers. Yes, there are arguments for the long term. But right now, the Red Sox have captured lightning in a bottle. This is a team that can make the post-season. How deep they can go is anyone's guess. But this is true of any team up to and including the Los Angeles Dodgers despite back-to-back World Series titles. 

The objective of any team in any sport is to win the championship. Some teams will have a better chance than others. Three and a half weeks ago, the Red Sox's chances didn't look so good. Today, things look very good. 

There are 14 games between now and the August 3rd trade deadline. Boston plays Tampa Bay tomorrow afternoon. The Red Sox then host a 3-game series against the Baltimore Orioles and the 3-game series against the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays. From there, the Sox travel to the West Coast to play a 4-game series against the Athletics before facing the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers.

The Orioles have been on a roll themselves winning six in a row. The Jays have been one of the most disappointing teams in the AL this season, yet one cannot discount them. Nor can one discount the Athletics despite the fact they have lost 10 in a row and have been struggling since Memorial Day weekend. Well, the Dodgers are the Dodgers and have the best record in MLB. 

If the Red Sox regress over the next couple of weeks, then they could be sellers after all. But if they play .500 ball or better the Red Sox have to go for it. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the players, the fans and the spirit of competition.