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What a difference a few weeks can make.
The Boston Red Sox were headed for the American League basement, seemingly destined to be sellers at the trade deadline. Experts were already including starter Sonny Gray and relief ace Aroldis Chapman in mock trade proposals.
Then they won 14 games in a row. They went from 37-48 to 51-48, and now hold sole possession of third Wild Card spot in the American League.
It’s hard to imagine these Red Sox capturing the hearts of Boston fans after headlines like these were being written in April: “The Boston Red Sox Are A Pathetic, Disgusting, Disgraceful Baseball Team.”
But here they are, just one more victory away from tying the team’s longest winning streak in franchise history, at 15 games, which was set in 1946 with Ted Williams leading the charge. The Red Sox are trying to not think about what’s at stake.
“I’m trying not to, but I want it,” third baseman Caleb Durbin said about the possibility of tying the club record. “I can’t speak for anyone else. We really haven’t talked about it, but I want to make history here.”
“It would mean a lot, for sure,” first baseman Willson Contreras said. “We are trying to play the same way every day. … If it happens, that would be great for us. We can celebrate that. If it doesn’t happen, you have to keep going.”
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Durbin and Contreras both played major roles in the team’s come-from-behind 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night at Fenway Park.
With the Red Sox trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning with a man on second base, Contreras pummeled Orioles starter Shane Baz’s 86-mph knuckle-curve off the Green Monster. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu raced home, tying the game at 4-4.
The Orioles responded in the top of the seventh inning when outfielder Tyler O’Neill grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Taylor Ward to score and giving Baltimore a 5-4 lead.
The Red Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning when center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela singled through the left side of the infield with two outs, and shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng scored to tie it at 5-5.
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Durbin delivered the final blow to the Orioles in the eighth inning, hammering Tyler Wells’ 91-mph cutter 364 feet over the Green Monster, and sending the Fenway Faithful into a frenzy.
The Red Sox third baseman was euphoric as he rounded the bases.
“There’s not a lot of times that you black out – as they say,’’ Durbin said. “I think that was one of the moments where I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t tell you what I looked like running around the bases.”
“I can’t imagine it being more electric than tonight,” Durbin said. “It might be. Tonight was awesome, though.”
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Contreras was one of the first players to jump over the railing onto the field after Durbin’s homer.
“I felt like (the) playoffs, going to the World Series, to be honest,” he said. “Hopefully it happens. We’re on the way, but there’s a lot of season left, a lot of games to be played.”
The Red Sox hope the good vibes carry over into Tuesday, when they face the Orioles (49-52) in the second game of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET, and look to etch their names alongside the legendary Williams.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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