Boston Red Sox vs Athletics Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/18/25, 10:18 AM  by Erik Gibbs | Modified on 9/18/25 at 4:10 PM in MLB Picks

Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox will look to push closer toward a postseason berth when they wrap up their series against the Oakland Athletics. Boston enters the contest fresh off a thrilling 5-4, 10-inning victory on Wednesday night, highlighted by Nick Sogard's walk-off fielder's choice that plated Nate Eaton.

Designated hitter Masataka Yoshida played a pivotal role in the win as well, collecting two hits and driving in a pair of runs to help the Red Sox maintain their position in the tightly contested American League Wild Card race. With just over a week left in the regular season, Boston sits tied for the second Wild Card spot and 2.5 games ahead of Cleveland, making each remaining game critical.

The Athletics, meanwhile, are playing out the string but have embraced the role of spoiler, winning seven of their past 11 games and showing improved competitiveness down the stretch. Despite outhitting the Red Sox on Wednesday and putting constant pressure on Boston's pitching staff, Oakland left 13 runners stranded and went just 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. These missed opportunities ultimately cost them a chance to even the series, but they have still proven capable of making life difficult for playoff contenders.