McAdam: Major league evaluator on 5 keys for the Red Sox in ALDS

In the playoffs, a series can turn on one or two isolated aspects. That's particularly true when it comes to a five-game series.

BSJ turned to a long-time evaluator, one who saw a lot of the Red Sox in 2018, for his thoughts on their keys to getting past the Yankees.

1. Take advantage of the starting pitching edge.

"This is kind of obvious once you get to the post-season: you need good starting pitching, even in an era when bullpen usage has increased the role of relievers. But starting pitching is a big advantage for Red Sox in this series, especially if their guys pitch as they're capable of pitching.

"To me, (Chris) Sale's got to win when he pitches. If he's Chris Sale, they're in good shape. I think. Overall, I think the Red Sox rotation is better and they have an advantage in that it looks like (Luis) Severino won't pitch until Game 3, but it starts with Sale. When he's on, he's tremendous. Now, if he's just 80 percent, then that puts a lot of pressure on Price,

"Those three games (if the series extends to five games) with Sale and (David) Price, those are big for the Red Sox. I think they just need those two to pitch good on the big stage. They're veterans. They just need to do it. Price isn't 22 anymore. It's time to match up and get the job done.

"If they pitch like they can, they'll be fine. But there's a lot at stake.''

2. The Sox have a big edge defensively in the outfield, but need to minimize infield mistakes.

"Boston's outfield defense is superior. That's definitely a team strength of theirs - they have three guys capable of playing center field. But they have some infield concerns.

"At this time of year, it's not about (avoiding) the errors, though, obviously, you want to do that, too. But it's also about converting all the outs in front of you. If there's a double-play grounder hit, you've got to get both outs, because in the playoffs, that will come back to haunt you.

"You don't want to give a good lineup like the Yankees an extra out. Even if you get out (of the inning), you're asking Sale or Price or someone to make another 10-12 pitches, and maybe that's an inning that you don't get out of them later in the game. Those pitch counts are going to get driven up, so not making that play, not getting that out, that could turn out to be really big.

"On the other side, the Red Sox run the bases pretty well, especially at the top of the order. You may see them try to push the issue a little bit with the Yankee outfielders.''

3. Get big outs in the bullpen before the ninth inning.

"(Craig) Kimbrel is a lock down guy.. You love him in the end.. But the rest of that bullpen, well, they're not exactly on fire going into the postseason. (Matt) Barnes has missed some time. (Ryan) Brasier has thrown 30 innings and pitched very well in the second half, but it's different now. The moment is bigger and you're facing the best lineups. The intensity of each at-bat is different.  He might be able to handle it, but he hasn't done it before, so there's a little bit of unknown there.

"With as much as these teams have seen one another, and all the scouting and video, there's a lot of familiarities. There are no secrets at this time of year. So, it comes down to stuff.

"I guess it comes down to this: that bridge (from the starter to Kimbrel) is unproven. I would take (Steve) Wright here. He gives you a totally different look and can give you multiple innings. He could be a key. And (Nathan) Eovaldi could be like Andrew Miller -- he could come in as early as the fifth and give you two or three innings.''

4. Cash in on home field.

"There's not much difference between the teams in terms of talent, so the intangibles mean a lot. After what they went through the last two times (in the playoffs), I think it's important for the Red Sox to get out in front early, maybe to calm everyone's nerves.

"After the season that they had, people say the pressure's on the Red Sox -- and it is. There are expectations they're going to have to deal with. They've got the best record and the highest payroll. If they can win Game 1, I think that settles the fans, and maybe the players a bit, too. Then, they can just out and play the game and have fun.

"For the Yankees, they're looking to get a split (at Fenway); if they do that, the series turns and they go home with a chance to win two and wrap it up. So, the Sox need to do everything they can to not let that happen.''

5. This edition of the Red Sox is better positioned to play from behind.

"Obviously, you don't want to fall behind. It's much easier to play with the lead. But unlike last year, when they didn't have that firepower to come back if they got down by three or four runs, this team does. (J.D.) Martinez makes a huge difference in that lineup. He can change a game with one at-bat.

''That lineup is deep. You've got guys lower in the lineup that can hit the ball out of the park -- (Ian) Kinsler), (Jackie) Bradley, even (Brock) Holt. So they're never out of it, because the lineup is relentless.

"And it's not just coming from behind; they can use the home run to add on, so a 3-1 or 4-1 game becomes a 6-1, 7-1 game and you can put them away.''