The Boston Red Sox just dropped a 13-game win streak on the league, including a four-game sweep of the first-place Rays, and guess what that means for our Mariners? It means Boston has clawed their way to a 50-48 record, moving into the thick of the postseason race and securing the AL’s last wild-card spot with a one-game cushion over our very own 50-50 Mariners. Yeah, that stings right now.
An Unbelievable Turnaround Has Boston Surging
Seriously, this Red Sox turnaround is wild. Back in April, they canned manager Alex Cora and everyone wrote them off in the AL East. Now, under interim manager Chad Tracy, they’re playing like a different team, racking up a 40-31 record since he took over. They entered the All-Star break on a nine-game heater against the Angels, White Sox, and Mets, and then just kept rolling, extending it to an MLB-best 13 straight wins. This isn’t just a hot streak, folks, this is one for the history books, already their second-longest ever, only behind a 15-game run way back in 1946. Dating back to June 25 against the New York Yankees, these guys have won an insane 18 of their last 20 games. It’s got them sitting six games behind the Rays and four games behind the Yankees in the AL East, but it’s the wild card picture that really impacts our Emerald City squad.
Dominance on Both Sides of the Ball
How are they doing it? Simple: strong hitting and lights-out pitching. During this 13-game streak, they’ve been averaging a robust 5.8 runs per game, while only allowing more than three runs twice. Talk about shutting teams down! Sunday’s 6-1 win over Tampa Bay was a perfect example. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray, who’s now sitting on an impressive 12-1 record with a 2.48 ERA and 1.12 WHIP this season, navigated through five hits and four walks in six innings, giving up just one earned run on an inside-the-park homer. He worked out of jams in the first and third innings, finishing the third with a strikeout and a flyout after runners were on first and third. After that, he was nearly untouchable, allowing just a single and a walk over the next three innings before the bullpen slammed the door shut without a single run allowed. Offensively, All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras was the man, smashing his 22nd home run of the season, a two-run blast in the fifth that pushed Boston’s lead to 6-1. He ended the day 1 of 3 at the plate, with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.
What This Means Moving Forward
This Red Sox surge is no joke, and it means the path to the postseason just got a little tougher for our Mariners. Boston is currently holding that final wild card spot, with us looking in from a game back. The Red Sox have consecutive three-game home stands coming up against the Orioles and Blue Jays. Every single one of those games matters for us now, because we need them to cool off, and fast. Go M’s!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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