Tonight is the All-Star Game, and I’m not watching. This is not unusual; I avoid all-star games in any sport. They are usually just exhibitions, and they count for nothing. The baseball one used to matter because it determined the home-field advantage of the World Series, but that ended in 2017.
If you look below, you’ll notice that the Red Sox’s chance of making the playoffs is exactly 50%; it could go either way. It’s a coin toss. A little less than four weeks ago, the figure was a bit more than one-tenth of that, or 5.9%. Nine days ago they were sitting at a quarter of that, 12.7%; then they won the next 9 games.
I fully expect them to crash and burn once play starts again. First, they have to play the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays for 4 games, starting with a doubleheader on Friday. Secondly, they always seem to fall apart right after the four-day break that is the All-Star game. And I guess thirdly, it’s what they do.