As it stands, the Red Sox are 4.5 games back of Houston for the best record in the AL. Boston has been making a push for power as of late. In August thus far, Boston has racked up an impressive 11-2 record while the Astros have been slipping. Houston has a 5-11 record in that same time span.

Failure to launch in Houston?

This playoff race shows just how unpredictable baseball can be. If it was June and you were to ask the average baseball fan who the best team in the American League was, they would say without a doubt the Astros.

Fortune has been swaying as of late though. The Astros have dealt with some injury issues as Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers have been hurt. Their lineup has also been bitten by the injury bug as George Springer and Carlos Correa have seen DL time.

It is not the time to say Houston can not come back from their issues. However, the team has shown vulnerability the last couple of weeks.

They also seem to be proving the fans right, as their inability to make a deal at the deadline would come back to bite them. The only trade of significance the Astros made was acquiring Francisco Liriano, which was not the kind of name they or the fans were looking for.

The Astros did make a move after the deadline and acquired Tyler Clippard, who is a two-time All-Star from the Chicago White Sox. There have still been rumors that they are in the mix for Justin Verlander. However, Jeff Luhnow has stated that expectations are “very low” in terms of trading for a starting pitcher.

Carlos Correa should be coming off the DL in the coming weeks. Houston still should feel good about their spot in the postseason, but they should be concerned with their current performance as well. This may serve as a wake up call for Houston for them to realize it is not a given that they will reach the World Series.

The Red Sox are red hot

Boston is 4.5 games up on the rival New York Yankees, who have been picking up the pace since their four game losing streak. Winning the division will be key for either team, as not playing in that dreaded wild-card game has a lot of upside for division winners.

Much of the team’s success has been coming from their pitching. Boston is second in the AL in ERA behind the Indians, and have the most quality starts from their starting rotation led by Chris Sale.

Last December, the Red Sox traded a couple of their best prospects in Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech for the side-armed lefty. Sale is tied in the AL for most wins with 14, and has the lowest ERA with an impressive 2.51. He also leads American League pitchers with a 5.6 WAR.

Boston has also received a shot in the arm from their new rookie sensation, Rafael Devers. In a season full of star-studded rookies, Devers has been able to make a name for himself at the young age of 20 years old.

Since being called up to Boston on July 23, Devers has hit six home runs and has a slash line of .348/.416/.667. His performance has been one of the best on the team besides their newly acquired infielder, Eduardo Nunez.

Nunez was traded to Boston at the deadline, and it showed they are not kidding around the season. Unlike Houston, Boston was able to solve some needs going into the trade deadline and it has paid off. Nunez has a slash line of .321/.348/.455. It is apparent that these moves have been working out for the Red Sox and they will be tough to beat coming down the stretch.

Will Boston prevail?

Since the Red Sox have taken off they have played some good teams as well as some lowly ones in the American Leauge. Four of their wins in August have come from the Chicago White Sox, but they have also won against the Rays, Cardinals, Yankees and Indians. This says that Boston will be able to match up with anybody down the stretch.

Boston will most likely keep pace and make sure the Yankees stay in second in the division. As I said earlier though, anything can happen. The Red Sox have a good amount of reliable players on their team though in order to ensure they stay on track.

Barring any injury setbacks that may come Houston’s way, the Astros should have Correa and McCullers back on the field in the coming weeks. Since they should be healthy for the postseason, they will prove to be a tough test for anyone that comes their way. If the standings hold as they do today, then there is a chance we could see the Astros and Red Sox face off in the ALCS.

This would be a very entertaining series as both clubs have the tools to win a World Series. Perhaps Houston will be able to break out of their slump and fend Boston off. If the Astros are able to break out of their funk and prove that their performance earlier in the season was not a fluke, then they will be a force to be reckoned with in October.

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