The Boston Red Sox just extended their winning streak to a blistering 13 games, taking down the first-place Rays 6-1 Sunday afternoon in Fenway Park. That’s the longest streak this franchise has seen since 1948, and it’s thrown their entire trade deadline strategy into absolute chaos. This team was dead in the water, looking like prime sellers, and now they’re playing historic baseball, making everyone in the front office scratch their heads.
Contreras Is ON FIRE, And This Streak Is Historic
Sunday’s win against the Rays was a classic comeback. Sonny Gray delivered a strong start, but the Red Sox actually fell behind in the second inning on an inside-the-park home run. No sweat, though! They evened it up that same inning, dropped three more in the third, and then Willson Contreras blasted his 22nd home run of the season in the fifth to score two more. That’s only two dingers shy of his career high from back in 2019, and the guy has been on an absolute tear, propping up the offense when they were struggling. His career year is no joke.
This current 13-game heater ties for the second-longest in franchise history, matching another 13-game run from July 1948. The only one longer? A 15-game streak back in 1946. They started way back in 1901 as the Boston Americans, so hitting these kinds of numbers is a big deal. The Red Sox stay home next week for a three-game series against the Orioles, giving them a real shot to set a new franchise record right there in front of the Fenway Faithful.
From Sellers to Playoff Position in 20 Games?
This incredible run started in late June, and it’s wild how fast things flipped. Before the streak, the Red Sox had just lost two of three to the Rockies and were a dismal 32-46, looking like one of the worst teams in baseball. Everyone figured they were obvious sellers at the upcoming August 3 deadline. Talk was flying around about Sonny Gray and closer Aroldis Chapman being shipped out of town.
Then, BOOM. They swept the Yankees in a four-game series, and it kicked off one of the craziest turnarounds you’ll ever see. They’ve gone an absurd 18-2 since then! Now, this team is 50-48, two games above .500, and sitting pretty in playoff position. This whole situation has absolutely “complicated matters” for their chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow. He admitted that there’s “still quite a bit of uncertainty even with our own personnel” and that the team’s identity can “change really quickly.” And boy, has it ever changed.
It’s still two weeks until the trade deadline, so anything can happen. But if the Red Sox keep this momentum rolling, they aren’t just in playoff position, they are surefire buyers looking to load up for a deep playoff run. The league better be watching what happens in Boston over these next 14 days, because this team just might crash the party.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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