An unlikely and historic turnaround by the Red Sox has not only resuscitated the team’s season, but promises to upend the entire MLB trade deadline.
Boston won its 14th straight game on Monday, beating a Baltimore team that had come into Fenway Park on its own seven-game winning streak. For the Red Sox, though, the latest run is their longest winning streak since 1946. Another win Tuesday night will match that franchise record set 80 years ago.
What makes all that so improbable is the state of the Red Sox less than a month ago. On June 24, Boston fell to a 32–46 record, had the worst mark in the American League, and was less than two months removed from the firing of former manager Alex Cora—who had led Boston to a World Series title in 2018—and five assistant coaches.
Since that late June low, however, the Red Sox have won 19 of 21 games, outscored their opponents by a 112-59 margin, and have risen to the third AL Wild Card spot. Prior chants of “Sell the team!” directed at club owner Fenway Sports Group have also quieted, and the Red Sox are now one of just seven MLB clubs to have improved their home attendance by at least 1,000 people per game. The Boston run has also included sweeps over contending teams such as the Yankees, Rays, and White Sox.
