Ten days from today, the Red Sox will return home to Fenway to play the Milwaukee Brewers. Between now and then they will play 9 road games against their closest AL East rivals—three with the Evil Empire, three with the Jays and three with the Rays.How they emerge from that tunnel of torment may go a long way toward deciding how they will fare in 2011. Winning six of nine would likely vault them into a dominant position in the division approaching the All-Star break. A 5-4 record (the most likely result) would be a good way to solidify their role as one of the legitimate contenders. 4-5 would be problematic, but not fatal. Anything less would call into question whether they can truly compete with the 'iron' of the division.
And returning to Fenway Park is not necessarily a panacea this year—they just split a six-game homestand—so they need to continue to do well away from Yawkey Way. These ten telltale days will be interesting.