Well, all things must come to an end.
The Boston Red Sox snapped a 15-game winning streak during the second game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles falling 5-1.
But the Red Sox have nothing to be ashamed of because their 15-game winning streak tied a club record originally set in 1946 when they won their first AL pennant in 28 years.
Of course, there are some differences between the 1946 Red Sox and the 2026 Red Sox.
When the 1946 Red Sox had their 15-game winning streak it was near the beginning of the season. During the streak which lasted between April 25th and May 10th, the Red Sox improved to 21-3 giving them a 5½ game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League. Boston would win 104 games and finish 12 games ahead of the 1945 World Series champion Detroit Tigers and 17 games ahead of the Bronx Bombers. The Red Sox would fall short against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series losing in 7 games due to Enos Slaughter's mad dash home.
The 2026 Red Sox had to scrap just to get to this point and have a lot more scrapping to do. Exactly four weeks ago, the Red Sox had the worst record in the American League. In four weeks, the Red Sox have gone 20-3 and are now have possession of the third AL Wild Card berth.
Nevertheless, their record stands at 52-49. They could regress and lose 7 of their next 10 games and end up sellers at the trade deadline. On the other hand, the Red Sox will be facing struggling clubs in the Toronto Blue Jays and Athletics before having to face back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers. In which case, Boston could win 7 of its next 10 games and be more firmly ensconced into the AL Wild Card berth and even move up in the AL East standings and knock on both the Yankees and Rays' doors.
Let me put it another way. Back in 1946 there were no playoffs. Just the regular season and the World Series and a 52-49 record was unlikely to lead to a pennant. We live in far different times where it concerns baseball and a lot for worse.
But as far as the Red Sox go, things are looking better in these times. What a difference four weeks makes.
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