If the Red Sox only were mediocre at the beginning and end

So the Red Sox blew the incredible lead to play golf this October. They were shockingly dreadful in September.

But remember how they lost their first 6 games and 10 of their first 12?
The Red Sox finished the season 90-72.

And they were 11-15 in April and a eye popping 7-20 in September.

In other words they were 18-35 in April and September and 72-37 the rest of the season.

Imagine if they weren't awful but merely mediocre at the bookends of the season.
Instead of being 17 games under .500 in those 2 months, what if they were just 1 game under .500?

That would be a 26-27 record in the 53 games of April and September. Not unreasonable for a consensus World Series pick.

And if they did that and played the rest of the season the same way, they would have had a 98-64 record... a game ahead of the Yankees.

If only they rose to the level of "eh."