Red Sox’s 15-game winning streak ends against Orioles

By Emily Turner — 23 July 2026 — 3 min read

Boston’s Historic Run Concludes

The Boston Red Sox‘s impressive 15-game winning streak, which tied the longest in franchise history, came to an end on Wednesday night with a 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. This defeat prevented Boston from setting a new franchise record of 16 consecutive wins. The streak had transformed the team from a last-place contender to a legitimate postseason hopeful in the American League.

The Red Sox had previously secured a 6-3 victory over Baltimore earlier on Wednesday, which tied the club’s longest winning streak, a record established in 1946 by a team led by Ted Williams. The 2026 team now stands alongside that historic group in the record books.

During their dominant run, the Red Sox swept three consecutive road series before the All-Star break, defeating the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets. They continued their strong performance by sweeping the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays in a four-game series and winning the first two games against Baltimore.

The team’s performance during the streak included scoring 5.9 runs per game, committing only five errors, and achieving a starter ERA of 2.78, with the bullpen posting an ERA of 1.08.

Midseason Transformation

The 2026 Red Sox experienced a significant midseason turnaround. Just three weeks prior to the streak ending, the team was in last place in the American League standings after a difficult start to the season. Since then, the offense improved, the pitching staff delivered consistent quality outings, and the team accumulated victories at a rapid pace.

Interim manager Chad Tracy noted that the identity of the team changed during the streak, emphasizing the quality of at-bats, starts, and bullpen work. He expressed confidence that if the team continues to play with this approach, they will win more games than they lose.

The Red Sox had shown a remarkable ability to stage comebacks during this period, with six of their 15 wins being of the come-from-behind variety. They had also rallied from a deficit in four of their previous five games. However, this resilience was not enough in Wednesday’s second game against the Orioles.

Rookie starter Eduardo Rivera began the second game, allowing four runs in the first inning. He was later optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Brayan Bello, who had been demoted to Triple-A earlier in the season, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in long relief, keeping the Red Sox in the game.

Historical Context of Winning Streaks

The Red Sox’s 15-game winning streak is among the longest in Major League Baseball since the start of the 21st century. Only three teams have achieved at least 17 consecutive wins during this period. The 2017 Guardians hold the record for the longest winning streak this century with 22 games, which contributed to them securing a division title. The 2002 Athletics are second with 20 straight victories, and the 2021 Cardinals had a 17-game streak that helped them reach the National League playoffs.

Other notable streaks since 2000 include 14-game runs by the Seattle Mariners (2022), Atlanta Braves (2022), Cleveland Guardians (2016), and the Atlanta Braves (2013). The Red Sox’s streak highlights the difficulty of maintaining sustained winning performances in MLB.

The 15-game win streak, the longest in the majors since the 2021 Cardinals’ 17-game streak, has been seen as potentially saving Boston’s season. On June 24, the Red Sox had a record of 32-46, 14 games under .500, marking the worst record in the American League. Since then, they have won 20 of 23 games and are now in third place in the AL wild-card race.

The team is off on Thursday before hosting the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Source: sports.yahoo.com