That September 23rd game for the Boston Red Sox against the Cleveland Guardians? It was a 1-0 win with 12 hits, and every single one of those hits was a single. Yeah, you read that right. A game-winning run scored, a dozen base knocks, and not one of ’em was an extra-base hit. Jarren Duran scoring in the sixth off an Andruw Monasterio single was the only run of the night, and it came in a contest that was part of the penultimate series of the 2026 season.
The Numbers Behind That Wacky Win
When you look at the 2026 season, this Red Sox game was literally the only time a team had at least 12 hits and scored just one run, or even was shut out. Think about that: out of every game played, Boston stands alone. We’re talking unique here. If you stretch that stat back to the Wild Card Era, starting in 1995, it’s only happened 73 times. And the kicker? Only five of those teams actually won. Our 2026 Red Sox are in some pretty rare company, alongside the 2015 Pirates, 2014 Angels, 2000 Rangers, and 1997 Yankees. What makes the Red Sox and those 1997 Yankees even crazier is that they’re the *only* ones on that list who won without hitting a single extra-base hit. For the others, the most they managed was a double.
Baseball’s Quirky History Just Got Another Page
Now, let’s flip it around for a second. In 2026 alone, there were 252 teams that had exactly 12 hits but scored *more* than one run. The Red Sox even did this themselves on Opening Day, March 26th, against the Reds, where Roman Anthony started the season hot with 3 hits. But back to our weird 12-hits-1-run scenario. If you go all the way back to 1898, Baseball-Reference says it’s only happened 368 times total. And out of that massive sample, the team with 1 run on 12 or more hits managed to win only 22 times. Remember the Dodgers’ insane 22-inning game against the Montreal Expos back in ’89? They had 20 hits, 18 of them singles, and the only run of the entire game was a Rick Dempsey home run in the 22nd inning off Dennis Martinez. Wild. And speaking of singles, there were only 5 games in 2026 where a team had at least 12 singles. The Yankees even pulled it off against the Sox in an August doubleheader that we probably all want to forget.
It just goes to show you, sometimes baseball throws you a curveball that makes you scratch your head. This September 23rd win for the Red Sox? Absolutely one for the history books, a true statistical outlier that you just don’t see every day. What a crazy way to mark a memorable season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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