Months ago, it wasn't difficult to see that the Red Sox were in for a challenging stretch after the All-Star break.
Their schedule called for them to run the gauntlet from mid-July through the third week of August with 26 of 32 games against the three best teams in their division: the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rays.
It was obvious that that stretch would be demanding and go a long way toward determining their fate.
The good news: that stretch is finally, mercifully over.
The bad news: the Sox could hardly have performed worse.
In those 26 games, the Sox went 10-16. At the start of that run, they led the division by a game and a half; at its conclusion, they had dropped to third place in the East, six games in back of Tampa Bay, their biggest deficit of the season.
As disappointing as the month was, all is not lost. There is still nearly a quarter of the season (39 games, to be exact) remaining. Moreover, the Sox still have opportunities to make up ground against the teams ahead of them. They have a three-game set with the Yankees, who lead them by a game. And while any chances of winning the division might seem slim, the Sox have seven meetings left with the front-running Rays.
But if the Red Sox' goal is to more fixed on qualifying for the postseason as a wild card and taking their chances on winning a win-or-go-home game, their path could be aided by a schedule that, beginning Friday, will turn from harrowing to hospitable.
Of the team's remaining 39 games, fully 21 of them are with teams who currently have a losing record. Two more are left with a team (the New York Mets) who sit exactly at .500.
The team's six-game homestand, which kicks off Friday, is a prime example of a less imposing schedule, starting with three games against Texas, owners of the second-worst winning percentage (.350) in the American League. That series is immediately followed by three with Minnesota, currently occupying fourth place in the American League Central. The Twins have played better of late (7-3 in the last 10) and aren't the pushover, say, the Orioles are. But Minnesota sold off Nelson Cruz and Jose Berrios at the deadline and represents an easier go of it for the Sox than their recent opponents.
Speaking of the Orioles, against whom the Red Sox have gone 9-4, the Sox have two remaining series with the division bottom-feeders - one at Fenway and another in the Sox' second-to-last road series of the season. The Sox then wind up the schedule in Washington with three against the Nationals, who are barely recognizable following a trade deadline auctioning of their roster.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the schedule, a fact the Red Sox should themselves recognize, having lost three out of four to Texas in Arlington earlier this season. Even the lowly Orioles, who have two separate 13-game losing streaks this season - including one in progress - are capable of surprise, having stunned the Sox with a season-opening sweep at Fenway.
It's not entirely smooth sailing the rest of the way. A six-game road swing that begins Labor Day Weekend in Chicago and continues onto Seattle will be a demanding one.
Still, for the Red Sox, there's the hope that, at least as far as the schedule is concerned, the worst is over.
-------------------------------------------------------
Having welcomed back Chris Sale and added prodigal infielder Travis Shaw, the Red Sox stand to get additional reinforcements in the coming days.
Infielder Christian Arroyo is winding down a rehab assignment for Worcester. Arroyo was placed on the IL with a groin strain on July 19, his third IL stint of the season, having suffered the injury after getting his first career start at first base. Arroyo served as the DH for Worcester Tuesday and played second base Wednesday. The Sox were due to make a determination on Arroyo's return on Thursday's off-day. He would presumably replace infielder Jonathan Arauz on the current 26-man roster.
Reliever Ryan Brasier is in the middle of a back-to-back bullpen appearances for Worcester. Brasier has missed the entire season so far, having missed large chunks of time with a succession of setbacks, the most serious of which was being struck in the head by a line drive while pitching in a simulated game in early June in Fort Myers.
At a time when the team's high leverage options in the bullpen have struggled of late, Brasier offers the promise of an experienced late-inning arm.