If there's one things that Red Sox fans have learned over the years, it's that no lead is ever safe. That's not just true of an individual game, but in the standings as well.
Last year saw the division-leading Sox and Atlanta Braves both squander late-season leads in the division and wind up on the outside looking in come playoff time. With the season two-thirds gone and a handful of teams still in the mix, however, plenty of divisions are still up for grabs.
The Texas Rangers welcome the Red Sox to town, owners of a 5 1/2 game lead in the AL West. The two teams nipping at the Rangers' heels, however, are two of the hottest teams in baseball — the A's and the Angels. With the Rangers' pitching suddenly turning into a question mark and Josh Hamilton looking very human for several months now, Texas is no longer looking like the lock for a postseason berth that they once were.
While the Yankees appear to have a very comfortable lead in the AL East, the Central-leading White Sox have a much more tenuous grasp on their division. With the Detroit Tigers fresh off a dramatic sweep of the Cleveland Indians and now with pitcher Doug Fister healthy again, Kevin Youkilis might find himself thinking "here we go again" down the stretch.
In the National League, the Nationals and Reds have the two best records in baseball while sitting atop their divisions. The Pirates and Cardinals seem intent on making a run at Cinci, though, and it won't be easy for the Reds to keep afloat the rest of the year. Meanwhile, the NL West boasts a three-way race among the Giants, Dodgers and Diamondbacks, too, and that division has been known to go down to the wire.
Which team currently leading its division is most likely to miss the playoffs?
