Sep 25, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) reacts after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Red Sox's Updated Magic Number, Playoff Scenarios After Bad Day For Boston

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 7:30 AM ET

Everything the Boston Red Sox didn't want to happen on Thursday came to fruition.

Most importantly, the Red Sox couldn't lock down a playoff spot by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays. A very productive road trip on the whole still left Boston needing to solidify their playoff status back home at Fenway Park.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros all won, meaning the Red Sox's playoff situation is beginning to come into focus.

Red Sox's new playoff scenarios

The Red Sox entered Thursday with four days of chances to clinch a playoff spot, and they struck out on day one. Still, with either a win over the Tigers or a Houston Astros loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, they would lock up a tripl to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Magic number? One.

In other news, though no Red Sox fan was holding out much hope anymore, Boston was officially eliminated from the division title race on Thursday. The Blue Jays and Yankees are both guaranteed to finish ahead of the Red Sox, which means Boston also cannot host a first-round playoff series.

If they do lock up a playoff spot (knock on wood), the Red Sox will travel to Toronto, New York, Detroit, or Cleveland to play a best-of-three series next week. They've been playing much better road baseball lately than they did for the first half of the season, though, and Garrett Crochet should be locked and loaded for Game 1.

Meanwhile, the only team currently in the playoffs who the Red Sox are guaranteed not to play in the first round is the Seattle Mariners, who locked up a first-round bye with their seventh-straight win (and 17th of 18) against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

The only other way to clinch a playoff spot, assuming the Red Sox somehow get swept AND the Astros sweep the Angels, is for the Guardians to lose at least two of three games this weekend against the Texas Rangers.

Will Friday be the day the Red Sox finally let their fans breathe a sigh of relief?

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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