BOSTON - Perhaps last place isn't a given after all.
With just less than five weeks to go in the season, the Red Sox' improved play of late has them 10 games under .500. They would need to go 21-11 the rest of way to finish with something better than a losing record. Even with their recent improvement, that's highly unlikely.
But it's not unreasonable that the Red Sox could finish out of the basement, maybe even as high as third in the division.
The Red Sox are just three games behind fourth-place Baltimore and four behind third-place Tampa Bay. They'll have plenty of chances to go head-to-head with both teams.
The Sox have six games remaining with the Orioles -- three in Baltimore and three at home -- and seven left with the Rays -- three in St. Pete and four at Fenway.
Couple that with the fact that the Rays and Orioles have seven games remaining -- including a three-game series that starts tonight in Baltimore. Whenever the Rays and Orioles go head-to-head, one team has to lose, allowing the Red Sox the opportunity to gain some ground on one in the standings.
The Orioles are 10-17 in their last 27 games and it appears as though they're coming unglued. The Rays aren't much better over the last 2 1/2 weeks, going 6-10 in their last 16.
Look, finishing fourth -- or even third -- won't salvage this Red Sox season, which has been an unmitigated disaster. But avoiding the ignominious distinction of finishing last for a second straight season -- and third time in the last four years -- might make it seem slightly less horrible.
