The last time the Red Sox won 13 consecutive games, Harry Truman was President of the United States. A gallon of gas cost 16 cents. Tupperware had just been introduced to the public, and the first Polaroid camera had gone on sale.
That, of course, would be the year 1948, a team headlined by Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio.
Only twice in franchise history had the Red Sox ever won at least 13 straight games: a 15-game streak in the spring of 1946 and a 13-
game streak during the summer of 1948.
With Sunday’s 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the 2026 Red Sox joined that rare company. Their 13th consecutive victory made them just the third team in franchise history to win at least 13 straight games, tying the second-longest winning streak in club history. The win also completed their fourth straight series sweep, the first time they’ve swept four consecutive series since June 2006.
“That’s incredible,” Caleb Durbin said after learning the Red Sox had accomplished something not seen in 78 years. “Especially a historic organization like this. You hear something like that, and you feel like you are a part of history. It’s super cool.”
Fueled by the 13-game winning streak, the Red Sox have completely changed the trajectory of their season.
In less than a month — just 20 games — they’ve gone from a season-low 14 games under .500 and the worst record in the American League to a season-high two games over .500. They now sit 1.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot and hold a 1.5-game cushion over the final playoff position.
They’ve won 18 of those 20 games. It’s just the sixth time in franchise history the Red Sox have gone 18-2 or better over a 20-game stretch, joining teams from 1948, 1950, 1988, 1995, and 2004.
No other team in baseball has won more than 13 games over that stretch.
“It’s really cool, and one game at a time,” Chad Tracy said. “I won’t shy away from what we’re doing is pretty incredible, and it’s a fun ride, and we want to keep it going. But focus on tomorrow and getting ready to play again tomorrow.”
It’s hard to believe how quickly things have changed.
A team that couldn’t win at home, carrying the league’s worst home record at 13-25, has gone 11-2 at Fenway over this 20-game stretch, the best home record in baseball during that span.
A team that couldn’t beat its division rivals, going 6-17 against the AL East while riding a seven-game losing streak, has now won eight straight games against AL East opponents. Six of those wins have come by multiple runs, giving Boston a plus-30 run differential. What was once a 15.5-game deficit in the division is now just six.
A team that couldn’t score runs, averaging 3.94 runs per game, the second-fewest in baseball, has averaged 5.3 runs over its last 20 games, a top-10 mark in the majors. They’ve hit multiple home runs in 10 of those games after doing so just 15 times over their first 78 games.
Finally, they’ve found ways to complement a pitching staff that has been one of baseball’s best all season, recording a quality start in nearly half of its games (48.9%) while posting the fourth-best ERA in the majors (3.53).
“There are a lot of differences. Not much in the pitching; the pitching has been great. But we have put some things together offensively,” Tracy said. “Obviously, we’ve got guys that are feeling better at the plate, swinging it better, and we’re hitting for more power, which is a huge part of it. But we’re also doing the little things in between that. So there’s just a lot of different ways we can score right now. That’s been probably the biggest difference.”
Even during the lowest points of the season, the Red Sox believed they were capable of a run like this. They knew the opportunity was there in an American League that has been up for grabs all season. Boston is now tied with Chicago for the second-best run differential in the AL at +45.
“We weren’t a good team, and that was a fact. But we’ve always had it in us, and we are a good team,” Sonny Gray said. “At the same time, you can’t get too high, and you can’t get too low in this game. You just show up, stay in the moment, and take each day for what it is.”
Over the last month, they’ve backed up that belief.
