BOSTON — With five days to go in the regular season, the Boston Red Sox' fate is all but sealed. Most likely, Boston will hit the road for a 2025 Wild Card rematch with the New York Yankees, making the final five regular-season games all but a formality. However, there's something to be said about heading into the playoffs on a high note. So, for the next five days, the Red Sox' sole focus should be on getting their sputtering offense back into gear.

For all of July and much of August, the Red Sox offense seemed able to overcome any deficit. However, September has been a different story: the Boston bats have gone ice cold and, as a result, reverted to their early-season struggles.

In 19 games in September, Boston hitters have posted a slash line of .221/.297/.378/.675, ranking in the bottom 10 in baseball in batting average (28th), on-base percentage (26th), slugging percentage (23rd), OPS (25th), runs scored (62, 30th), and weighted runs created plus (87, 26th). Numbers that are eerily similar to the .236/.297/.354/.651 line they posted in April.

The Red Sox offense has struggled in particular to cash in on opportunities with runners in scoring position, going just 25-for-140 (.178) while leaving 141 men on base in September. 

After struggling against weak competition early in the month, the Red Sox will face much stiffer competition as they look to get their bats going, hosting two teams with plenty to play for in the final week, the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago Cubs. 

Cleveland enters play on Wednesday with a one-game lead over the Chicago White Sox for first place in the AL Central, while the Cubs find themselves in a three-way tie with the Phillies and Padres for the NL Wild Card. Every game grows more important for both clubs, meaning they're increasingly likely to use their best arms to, in Cleveland's case, secure the division, and in Chicago's case, chase them down for that division.

Of course, that's all before heading into a three-game series with the Yankees, who enter play on Wednesday with a league-best 3.21 staff ERA. If the Red Sox want to have any chance of going into the Bronx and winning a series, they have to get the offense going. 

The Red Sox have a great opportunity to get their offense going on Wednesday night as they'll face struggling left-hander Foster Griffin, who has posted a 5.67 ERA since being dealt to Cleveland at the trade deadline, in game two of three against the Guardians at Fenway Park. Sonny Gray (17-5, 2.82 ERA) will get the start for Boston opposite Griffin. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.