The Red Sox needed to either beat the Blue Jays or have the Astros lose to the Athletics to clinch a postseason berth Thursday night. Neither happened.

A potential celebration has been delayed a day, but that doesn’t mean Boston still isn’t in great shape when it comes to its playoff hopes. One more Red Sox win or one more Astros loss means Boston is dancing for the first time since 2021. On Friday, that means a Red Sox win over the Tigers (7:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+) or an Angels win over Houston (9:38 p.m. ET) means Boston is in. Other possibilities, though, were eliminated Thursday.

Toronto’s 6-1 win over the Red Sox guaranteed that the Red Sox will not win the American League East, continuing a seven-year streak. With three games to go, the Jays and Yankees are tied in that race, though Toronto holds an effective one-game lead because the Jays hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Red Sox have also been eliminated from contention for the first wild card spot in the AL — and home field advantage in the first round. That spot will go to whoever doesn’t win the East between the Yankees and Blue Jays.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ON THE RACE:

*** It’s not yet time to worry about the Red Sox, who would need to be swept by the Tigers while the Astros sweep the Angels to miss October. Plus, it’s more satisfactory to clinch at home in front of the Fenway Faithful, anyway. Boston will have three chances to do so.

Starting with the opener, which pits former No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize against lefty Kyle Harrison, the Red Sox would be wise to take care of business in the first two days to avoid using starter Lucas Giolito on Sunday. A clinch before Game 162 means the Sox would get to hold the veteran righty to a playoff series. The Tigers, conversely, would have to use ace Tarik Skubal on Sunday if they have something to play for.

*** The other races in the American League remain very unsettled. The Yankees and Jays are tied atop the East and the Tigers and Guardians, after a Detroit win Thursday, are tied for the Central lead. The Central situation, with those teams hovering at 86 wins (instead of 91, like Toronto and New York) matters less for seeding purposes. The Tigers and Guardians both won’t have byes for the Wild Card round. The Yankees and Blue Jays will be fighting for one against the Orioles and Rays, respectively.

*** The Red Sox must first clinch, then worry about where they’re headed for a best-of-three series starting Tuesday. For now, that series would be held in New York. But New York, Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit remain possible as destinations, depending on how the weekend shakes out. Things became even more muddled thanks to Thursday’s results.

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