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Just a fewer weeks ago, nan Boston Red Sox were 1 of Major League Baseball's biggest disappointments.
Despite their hefty payroll and a roster filled pinch stars and breathtaking young prospects, injuries had ravaged overmuch of nan team's extent done nan first half of nan season. Entering July, nan Red Sox were dormant past successful nan American League East astatine 37-48. They had nan third-worst grounds successful nan AL arsenic a whole, were 14 games retired of first spot and seemed posed to go sellers astatine nan waste and acquisition deadline. As precocious arsenic June 21, they had conscionable an 8.4% chance of reaching nan postseason, per FanGraphs.
Then, history.
RED SOX COME BACK FROM THE DEAD, MOVE INTO POSTSEASON CONTENTION WITH REMARKABLE 14-GAME WIN STREAK
Boston Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu celebrates aft his RBI double successful nan 3rd inning of a crippled against nan Baltimore Orioles connected Monday, July 20, 2026, successful Boston. (Charles Krupa/AP)
Even without cardinal players for illustration Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story and Roman Anthony, nan Red Sox entered a day-night doubleheader against nan Baltimore Orioles connected Wednesday having won 14 games successful a row. Sure enough, they jumped retired to a four-run lead they ne'er relinquished, pinch nan crippled fittingly ending connected a awesome protect play by shortstop Tsung-Che Chung.
That 15th consecutive triumph tied a franchise grounds group 80 years ago, and became conscionable nan eighth winning streak of 15 aliases much since 1961. And nan first since nan St. Louis Cardinals successful 2021.
"You support stacking 1 triumph complete another, and past you get close, and erstwhile you get wrong 3 aliases four, they commencement to consciousness for illustration playoff games because you want to get there," infielder Caleb Durbin this week, per MLB.com. "But yeah, past you look backmost astatine it, and deliberation astir wherever you're doing it and really agelong this franchise has existed. It's beautiful incredible."
RED SOX HAD A NIGHTMARE TRAVEL DAY FOR THE AGES, YET STILL FOUND A WAY TO BEAT THE METS IN NEW YORK
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rivera sits successful nan dugout aft being pulled from nan crippled successful nan first inning during nan 2nd shot crippled of a doubleheader against nan Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, successful Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Wednesday night's crippled provided a aureate opportunity to group a caller franchise grounds pinch 16 successful a row. Still astatine Fenway Park and facing a struggling Orioles team. But nan Orioles turned nan tables, scoring 4 runs of their ain successful nan apical of nan first. Jonathan Rodriguez's double disconnected nan Green Monster helped unit Eduardo Rivera from nan crippled successful nan first inning.
The Red Sox couldn't get thing going offensively though, falling 5-1 and coming up conscionable short of moreover much history.
Still, what an unthinkable achievement. It not only turned their play astir but besides upended nan American League East and postseason races. They went from being buried and seemingly retired of nan playoff image earlier July to not losing a crippled from July 1 done July 22.
Before nan nonaccomplishment successful nan nighttime game, Boston's postseason probability had soared to 67% acknowledgment to taking complete sole possession of nan 3rd chaotic paper spot successful nan AL. Remarkably, aft nan triumph successful nan time game, they moved to wrong six games of first successful nan AL East. Though the Rays triumph and Boston's nonaccomplishment made it 7 entering Thursday.
From sellers to... buyers?
Crochet is hoping to return by nan playoffs, but moreover pinch Ranger Suárez returning soon, Boston would emotion to acquire much starting pitching. Roman Anthony has yet to commencement swinging aft tearing a ligament successful his finger, and Trevor Story is still a ways away, meaning Boston could usage discourtesy too.
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All that raises nan question, really person they done truthful overmuch winning pinch each nan injuries? A operation of timely hitting, value pitching and, of course, luck. Boston has nan champion squad ERA successful shot successful July, and an .877 OPS pinch runners successful scoring position complete nan aforesaid timeframe. That'll work.
Boston Red Sox fans cheer aft an RBI double by Ceddanne Rafaela during nan seventh inning of a crippled against nan Baltimore Orioles connected Monday, July 20, 2026, successful Boston. (Charles Krupa/AP)
15 games successful a statement is remarkable, particularly pinch those injuries. And Red Sox fans tin now dream of getting Anthony, Story and Suarez backmost for a playoff run. With Crochet looming if they get there. Not excessively shabby, considering wherever they were entering July.
Ian Miller is simply a writer astatine OutKick.
