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The Boston Red Sox will not be celebrating a sweet 16. Boston’s remarkable 15-game winning streak ended Wednesday night with a 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. The defeat prevented the Red Sox from breaking the franchise record established by Ted Williams and the 1946 American League pennant winners.
However, reducing this run to a missed record would ignore what the Red Sox accomplished. Boston went from last place in the AL East to holding a playoff spot in three remarkable weeks. It transformed a season that appeared headed toward another trade deadline selloff into one that suddenly carries legitimate postseason expectations.
“That was a great ride, a 15-game winning streak,” first baseman Willson Contreras said. “There’s nothing to be sad about. We have to be happy. We should be proud of what we did and from now keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”
Red Sox fall behind before Fenway crowd can settle in
Boston matched its franchise record by defeating Baltimore 6-3 in Wednesday’s opener. That brought 38,005 fans to Fenway Park for the nightcap with a chance to watch the Red Sox claim the record outright.
Baltimore quickly spoiled the party.
With All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez still unavailable because of an illness, Boston turned to rookie Eduardo Rivera as an opener. Rivera recorded only two outs while allowing four first-inning runs. A wild pitch brought home Baltimore’s first run before Dylan Beavers delivered a two-run single. Johnathan Rodriguez then drove a ball off the Green Monster to score Beavers and make it 4-0.
Interim manager Chad Tracy replaced Rivera with Brayan Bello, who gave Boston 5 1/3 scoreless innings as a bulk reliever. Bello allowed four hits and one walk while striking out five, giving his teammates an opportunity to make another comeback.
The Red Sox could not solve Kyle Bradish. Bradish, making his first start since agreeing to a five-year, $90 million extension with the Orioles, allowed one run on four hits across six innings. Masataka Yoshida drove in Boston’s only run with a fourth-inning single that scored Contreras.
Gunnar Henderson added an insurance run for Baltimore in the seventh, scoring on a wild pitch after hitting a triple.
Boston’s veterans deliver important message after loss
Tracy planned to address the team after the game, but Contreras and veteran pitcher Sonny Gray had already taken control of the clubhouse conversation. Their message was simple: One loss should not erase everything Boston had just accomplished.
“We just won 15 games in a row, and I think all of us knew it was going to end at some point,” Tracy said. “It just happened to end tonight.”
The Red Sox are 20-3 since June 25 and finished the winning streak tied with the 1946 team for the longest in franchise history. Boston’s run was also the longest by an MLB club since the St. Louis Cardinals won 15 consecutive games in September 2021. That accomplishment becomes even more impressive when considering where the Red Sox started. They were 11 games below .500 before the streak and appeared to be approaching the deadline as potential sellers.
Boston is now 52-49 and holds the third AL wild-card position, two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. The Red Sox have also cut their deficit in the AL East to seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
“I want everybody to feel proud of what we did,” Contreras said. “We tied a record since 1946. That’s not easy to do. We made history.”
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Historic winning streak changes Red Sox trade deadline outlook
The most important result of the streak might not be found in the franchise record book. Boston has given its front office a compelling reason to add talent before the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline. A team that once looked buried is now in playoff position and playing with the confidence of a legitimate contender.
The Red Sox still have questions to answer, particularly with their rotation and bullpen. Rivera was optioned to Triple-A Worcester after Wednesday’s loss, while left-hander Alec Gamboa will remain on the active roster. Suarez could return from the injured list during the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays if his health improves.
Patrick Sandoval is scheduled to start Friday’s series opener, with Gray taking the mound Saturday. The streak is finished, but Boston’s season is very much alive. The Red Sox did not reach 16 consecutive victories, yet those 15 wins may have changed the direction of the franchise.
“I think we can beat anybody,” Contreras said. “We are a good team that battles. We are resilient and a team that stays together, winning or losing.”
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