Red Sox Ride 15-Game Win Streak Into Wild-Card Position
The Boston Red Sox won 15 consecutive games from late June to July, improving their record to 52-49 and securing a wild-card position in the American League.
The streak began with a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees and a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. Since June 25, the team has gone 20-3.
Small-Ball Surge
During the streak, the Red Sox employed more small-ball tactics, including sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, and stolen bases. They recorded 11 stolen bases, 8 sacrifice bunts, and 6 sacrifice flies in the 15 games, compared to 11 sacrifice bunts and 23 sacrifice flies in the prior 85 games.
Individual Turnaround
Caleb Durbin improved his batting average from .163 with a .479 OPS on May 24 to .303 with an .893 OPS during the streak. The team hit 23 home runs during the streak, averaging 5.9 runs per game, up from 4.0 runs per game earlier in the season.
Defensive Discipline
The Red Sox committed only 5 errors during the streak. For the season, they have 45 errors, which is among the lowest in the majors. The team had finished last or second-worst in errors in each of the previous three seasons.
Pitching Dominance
Pitching performance improved: the rotation had a 2.78 ERA and the bullpen a 1.08 ERA during the streak.
- Sonny Gray won all three of his starts, allowing one run in six innings each.
- Jake Bennett pitched 7 2/3 innings allowing two runs, and later seven scoreless innings.
- Garrett Whitlock made 10 consecutive scoreless appearances.
- Aroldis Chapman recorded seven saves.
Home Record
The Red Sox also improved their home record, winning six straight home games after the All-Star break before a loss on Wednesday.