MLB Playoff Race: 5 Reasons Why the Boston Red Sox Will Win the AL Wild Card

The MLB Playoffs are now just weeks away and the race for the AL Wild Card has suddenly gotten interesting.

The Boston Red Sox were battling with the New York Yankees for tops in the AL East not so long ago, but are now fighting for their postseason lives. The pesky Tampa Bay Rays have revived their season and are now in contention.

The AL Wild Card seemed to be a lock for the Red Sox just a handful of days ago but now they only hold a four-game lead over the Rays.

Each team has 15 games remaining on their respective schedules. This includes a pivotal four-game series between the two ball clubs beginning on Thursday.

Although things are tense at the moment, here are five reasons why the Red Sox win the AL Wild Card. 

No. 5: Tim Wakefield Ended the Team's Losing Streak and Earned His 200th Victory

Tim Wakefield had been sitting on career victory No. 199 since July 24 until Tuesday night.

The layoff between wins had to be weighing heavy on the minds of the Red Sox organization.  

Wakefield, MLB's active leader in wins finally earned his 200th. The 45-year-old ageless wonder has relied on his knuckle ball for 19 seasons now. His win total is a true testament to his time in the majors.   

Wakefield's historic win also halted the Red Sox five game losing streak. 

With both of these things now behind the Red Sox , the team can fully concentrate on their final games as they gear up for the playoffs.  

No. 4: Carl Crawford Has Yet to Come Alive in the 2011 Season

After signing a $142 million dollar deal in the offseason, Carl Crawford has been disappointing in his first year in Bean Town.

That's not to say he won't come alive though.

Face it, he's better than his .253 average shows. 

The Red Sox will need him too; in Red Sox wins this year Crawford is batting .293. In losses, he's batting just .192. 

Crawford came to Boston to win rings. Expect him to break out of his year-long slump just in the nick of time. 

No. 3: The Return of Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis to the Lineup

Both Beckett and Youkilis have been hampered by injuries of late.

Beckett has been out since last September 5 with a sprained ankle and Youkilis hit the bench September 8 with multiple ailments.

Beckett is scheduled to start Thursday or Friday. Youkilis went 0-for-3 in his first game back on Tuesday.

With Beckett being the ace of the staff and Youkilis being a staple in the clubhouse, this will give the Red Sox the boost of confidence they need.

These men know how to win and look to do just that.

No. 2: Dustin Pedroia Won't Hit .220 the Whole Month of September

Dustin Pedroia came into Tuesday's game hitting just .156 in the month of September.

His 4-for-5 effort raised his average for the month to .220. His monster night included two doubles, two homers, four runs and five RBI's. 

What a way to break out of a funk. 

Don't expect Pedroia to slump again. The MVP caliber second baseman will bat above .300 the rest of the way. 

No. 1: Strength of Schedule

The Red Sox main threat is the Tampa Bay Rays. The teams play for the last four times beginning Thursday in what is a must-see series for all MLB fans. This showdown will be one of playoff intensity, without a doubt. 

Remaining schedules for both squads look like so: the Red Sox have one game remaining against the Toronto Blue Jays, three against the New York Yankees and seven against the Baltimore Orioles.

Meanwhile, the Rays have one left against the Orioles, three against the Blue Jays and seven against the Yankees.

It doesn't take a genius to realize that one would rather play the Orioles seven times rather than the Yankees. 

For this reason alone, the Red Sox will win the AL Wild Card.