AL East

It took a collapse aided by chicken and beer, two managerial changes, one blockbuster trade involving a couple hundred million dollars in contracts and an offseason of signing free agents known as much for their character as their play, but the Boston Red Sox made a statement in their first playoff game since 2009. 

Dustin Pedroia and the rest of the Boston Red Sox head into the MLB postseason as one of the hottest teams around. Win or lose, the star second baseman will have the support of wife Kelli and his wonderful family. 

After a 28-game turnaround from 2012, 97 victories and an American League East title, the Boston Red Sox have earned home-field advantage throughout the postseason and the right to sit back and watch Tampa Bay and Cleveland battle for the right to arrive at Fenway Park for the ALDS on Friday.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a tough road ahead.

After 162 games, the Rays finished the season tied with the Texas Rangers for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. A tiebreaker Game 163 was required to answer the question of whether the Rays would even make the postseason in 2013.

Monday night the Rays answered the question by defeating the Rangers 5-2.

The road will only get tougher for the team that has not been home since September 23.

Chances are 38-year-old middle relievers don't usually become stars overnight, but due to injuries in the Boston Red Sox bullpen, Koji Uehara had the opportunity to become one this summer. After months of dominance, Boston and its new closer head to October as a candidate to reach the World Series. 

Mired in a five-game losing streak and all but eliminated from the AL wild card race, the Baltimore Orioles were dealt a blow on Monday that could affect them beyond this September.

It's not official yet, but the careers of Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte, much like the former Yankee Stadium, will come to a close on a note as anticlimatic as can be. For only the second time in the wild-card era, the New York Yankees will not make the postseason.

The Boston Red Sox are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The team clinched the American League East title—its first since 2007—with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

The San Francisco Giants went to their bullpen on Friday night with two outs in the seventh inning, and Alex Rodriguez made them regret it. His opposite-field home run not only broke a 1-1 tie; it set a new MLB record for career grand slams.

At 93-61, the Boston Red Sox are steamrolling the American League, guaranteed a spot in the postseason and likely headed for the top seed in the league.

When October arrives, expect Boston to take on the winner of the six-team wild-card bonanza currently taking place in the American League. Assuming Boston does hold on to the top spot in eh AL, it will be taking on an opponent that expended energy throughout September just to reach the Division Series.