With the next six games vs. Pitt and Detroit, a winning record for Boston is absolutely essential. The final 20 games in the rest of April are all against better clubs with playoff aspirations, starting with a four-game set in Tampa.
The Rays are loaded with arms and young impact players: Franco, Arozarena, Paredes, Siri. The Angels and Twins are improved, while Milwaukee and Cleveland have pitching staffs with shutdown stuff.
A 6-3 or even 5-4 record after the next week will set the tone for the first month. After that, if the Sox can just break even at 10-10 the rest of April, they can legitimately stay in the hunt.