The Boston Red Sox have been a completely different team since the start of their late-June series against the New York Yankees.
Boston entered that four-game series with a 32-46 record and a last-place spot in the American League East. It had just lost two of three to the lowly Colorado Rockies, marking its lowest point in what was on track to be one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
The Red Sox bounced back with a series sweep of their archrival, but they came crashing back down to earth by losing two of three to the Washington Nationals. Since then, they’ve won 13 consecutive games to miraculously climb into a playoff spot.
Coming off a four-game sweep of the first-place Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox will look to keep their streak alive when they begin their three-game series against the red-hot Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on Monday night. The O’s will enter the series on a seven-game win streak.
Before we look ahead to what should be another thrilling Red Sox series, here are some wild stats that stand out from their scorching stretch (since June 25).
Offense is alive
Since the Red Sox’ torrid 20-game stretch began on June 25, their lackluster offense has awoken to produce top-10 numbers in a handful of major categories:
- Home runs: tied for 9th (27)
- Runs scored: 4th (106)
- Stolen bases: 4th (17)
- OPS: 8th (.755)
Elite pitching
Boston’s pitching staff has remained among the league’s best throughout the club’s hot streak:
- ERA: 1st (2.47)
- WHIP: 1st (1.02)
- Quality starts: 1st (12)
- FIP: 2nd (3.29)
Macho Masa
Masataka Yoshida is hitting .400 (14-34) with four doubles, three homers, and eight RBI over his last 11 games.
Before June 25, Yoshida was hitting .235 with just one homer and 10 RBI on the year.
Zero to hero
After struggling mightily in April and May, Caleb Durbin has been exceptional both at the plate and at the hot corner since the calendar flipped to June.
In his first 48 games, Durbin hit .163 with just one homer. Over his last 43 games, he’s hitting .305 with eight long balls.
Durbin is hitting .292 with four homers and 11 RBI since June 25.
Contreras continues to rake
Willson Contreras has been Boston’s undisputed MVP this season, leading the club in homers (22), RBI (64), and OPS (.932). The four-time All-Star hasn’t slowed down, as he’s hitting .300 with a team-high six homers and 18 RBI since the Red Sox’ run began on June 25.
Rotation revelation
Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett has been a godsend for a Red Sox rotation that has lost ace Garrett Crochet and — to a lesser extent — veteran southpaw Ranger Suarez to injury. He also stepped up while righty Brayan Bello spent time in Worcester.
Bennett, acquired from Washington in exchange for fellow prospect Luis Perales in the offseason, has a remarkable 2.35 ERA through nine starts. During Boston’s 20-game surge, he leads the starting rotation with a 1.00 ERA and 0.63 WHIP across four starts.
Lights-out relievers
Red Sox relief pitchers Garrett Whitlock (11 appearances) and Tyron Guerrero (six appearances) haven’t allowed an earned run since June 25. They own WHIPs of 0.39 and 0.95 in that span, respectively.
Boston’s bullpen owns the third-best ERA (2.49) and WHIP (1.04) over the 20-game stretch.
Aiming for history
The Red Sox’ 13-game win streak is tied with the 1948 squad for the second-longest in franchise history. The 1946 Sox own the longest streak at 15 straight wins.
Vibe changer
The Red Sox’ incredible turnaround has coincided with offseason addition Anthony Seigler becoming a regular in the lineup. Boston owns a 19-5 record since Seigler rejoined the lineup on June 20.
Seigler has put up solid numbers, but the ex-Milwaukee Brewer has been even more impactful by bringing energy and emotion to a previously lifeless ballclub.
“You can never count us out, whether that be in a playoff run or in a game,” Seigler said after Boston swept the New York Mets to complete a 9-0 road trip heading into the break. “It just speaks volumes to how we approach the game and how we carry ourselves.”
