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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 5:42:28 GMT -5
Red Sox’ comeback win pumps up volume at Fenway, ‘loudest since ‘21′ | Sean McAdam
Published: Jun. 24, 2024, 11:41 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
BOSTON — The night began with a tribute to the Celtics, who carted their recently won Larry O’Brien trophy out to the mound for a first pitch ceremony.
It ended with a walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth, as the Red Sox erased a four-run deficit from two innings earlier and somehow emerged with a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
In between, there was a little bit of everything. And noise. A lot of noise, enough so that Alex Cora said the ballpark was the loudest he could remember since 2021.
What had been a taut pitcher’s duel through the first six innings turned into a wild back-and-forth over the final three innings. The game might not have been an artistic triumph — the game featured three errors and two unearned runs.
But it had passion and theatrics and drama to spare. And most of all, it had a night in which Fenway came alive. A surprising number of fans remained after the Sox fell behind. In the end, their patience and loyalty were rewarded.
“It was,” concluded Cora, “fun....The environment was incredible...Today was loud. (The fans) were locked in. They stayed all the way to the end. I think it was a great night at Fenway. The boys had fun today.”
Fun has seemingly been in short supply at Fenway for the last few seasons. But on Monday night, it seemed to permeate the old ballpark.
“The intensity was awesome,” said Jarren Duran, who collected three hits, including the game-winner. “We got down, and it honestly didn’t feel as if (the fans) gave up on us, which was awesome. It definitely helps when you have the fans behind you, rooting for you, screaming. It was an aweome experience and I’m thankful for these fans. It was amazing.”
An assist should go to the Celtics, who revved up the crowd as they surrounded the pitcher’s mound and took part in the first-pitch ceremony. But the Celts’ contributions didn’t end when the game began. A number of players, including Derrick White and coach Joe Mazzulla.
Later in the night, whenever the energy sapped, the Red Sox ballpark production team was savvy enough to show the Celts in the luxury box. Both Mazzulla and White hoisted the championship trophy to ignite the crowd.
But the Sox deserved some credit, too. After Isaiah Campbell imploded in the seventh, surrendering a three-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the seventh, the Sox stormed back. A two-run homer from David Hamilton cut the deficit in half, and a two-run pinch-hit single from Romy Gonzalez squared things 6-6.
Along the way, there were the little things, like Duran legging out a double on a misplayed popup before Hamilton struck. And in the ninth, the mere threat of Ceddanne Rafaela’s speed almost certainly played a part in Spencer Horwitz bobbling a rather routine grounder. Then, Rafael’s presence on the bases helped force a balk on the part of Toronto reliever Zach Pop.
Speed not only kills, it intimidates.
That’s part of the Red Sox identity now: the ability to rattle teams with their athleticism.
Some of it, too, was a byproduct of the Red Sox growing confidence. Winners of 10 of their last 12, they’ve started to believe in themselves. No margin is too large to overcome, no opponent too fearsome.
“They’re feeling good about themselves,” said Cora. “It feels like we can do damage at anytime. We can put up good at-bats at any time.”
“I just feel like we’re just trusting each other, trusting the program that we have going and we’re just keep it rolling,” said Duran.
You can probably trace that burgeoning confidence to the last homestand, when the Red So won series against both the Phillies and Yankees. A successful road trip and two more road series furthered that belief.
The Red Sox are sometimes winning by hitting four homers and sometimes winning by scoring the winning run on a foul sacrifice fly not 250 feet from home plate. They’re winning at home and on the road. And they’re moving up the wild card ladder, now in possession of the third spot in the American League.
For much of the season, the Red Sox have played with a chip on the shoulder. When they alternated between a game over or under .500, that seemed presumptuous. Now that they’re a season-high seven games above the break-even mark. it seems a little more genuine.
More to the point, the fans are starting to get on the bandwagon, too. You could see it — and hear it — Monday night. It began with the crowd getting behind the Celtics; it ended with the Red Sox earning their own tribute.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 5:46:13 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ Another win that is arguably the best of the season for the Red Sox.
You know things are going good when you’re having that conversation about multiple games the last few weeks.
It’s time to bury the Blue Jays. This was a great way to start. Down 6-2 and you ripped the game right out of their hands.
This group doesn’t have an ounce of quit. Doesn’t matter if you’re talking injuries, a taxed bullpen, or being down late. Impossible not to root for a team fighting this hard.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 5:50:39 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Coming off the road, bullpen beaten up, down four runs late. One of the best wins at Fenway in a while. 10:54 PM · Jun 24, 2024 · 14.8K Views
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 5:52:15 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier Red Sox are now 43-36. Toronto is 35-43. The Blue Jays are further behind the Sox (7 1/2 games) than the Sox are from the Orioles (6 1/2 games). 10:51 PM · Jun 24, 2024 · 19.1K Views
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 5:58:07 GMT -5
After another thrilling victory, and with the champion Celtics in the house, is anything possible for these Red Sox? By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated June 25, 2024, 12:26 a.m.
OK, why not? Buckle up and enjoy the ride.
The Red Sox hype train gained a massive boost of steam Monday night. Amidst their best run of the season, the Sox notched their most captivating win of the year, offering a glimpse of the summer joyride – in defiance of expectations and odds – that suddenly, improbably seems possible.
The Red Sox emerged victorious over the Blue Jays in a pitcher’s duel-turned-late-innings shootout, erasing a four-run, eighth-inning deficit to claim a 7-6, walkoff win and producing a Fenway frenzy that hadn’t been experienced in years.
A throng of 35,856 was electrified throughout the night by the presence of the Banner 18-celebrating Celtics. Energy coursed through the ancient venue in a closed circuit. The crowd erupted each time the Celtics came into view – usually holding aloft the O’Brien Trophy – on the scoreboard, particularly in the late innings. The players felt the energy and reflected it back into the game, into the crowd, into the Celtics.
The Sox clawed back from a 6-2 deficit with four runs in the eighth inning before pushing ahead when Jarren Duran grounded a single through the right side of the infield to score Ceddanne Rafaela from second in the ninth. It was the first walkoff hit of Duran’s career.
“Maybe [the Celtics] hyped us up a little before the game and we could get that walkoff for them,” said Duran. “To see them stay the whole game, and [Celtics guard Derrick White] was wearing a ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ shirt,’ so it was like, ‘All right, that means you guys have got to stay the whole time because it’s not boring.’”
This was not boring. These Red Sox, while putting together a 10-2 run over the last two weeks, certainly have not been boring.
Rewind. On June 11, it seemed possible the Sox were about to fade from plucky upstart status.
They’d lost the first game of a three-game series against a Phillies squad that possessed the best record in the National League. The Sox were one game under .500, trailing, 4-0, in the fourth inning of the second game of that series, at risk of falling two below for the first time since May 18, and had yet to win a series all season against a team with a record over .500.
And then, the Sox stormed back from that deficit to secure an 8-4 win, built on that with another to take two of three from the Phillies, built on that by taking two of three at home against the Yankees (who had the best record in the AL), built on that by sweeping the Blue Jays in Toronto, built on that by winning a road series in Cincinnati, and finally came back to Fenway on Monday with a rabbit-from-a-hat comeback (albeit against a freefalling Blue Jays team that, with seven straight losses, is plummeting towards a selloff).
And with it, members of the Red Sox experienced the sort of charge that Fenway can offer and few other venues can match.
“The environment was incredible,” Sox manager Alex Cora said postgame, the shouts of fans on the street echoing inside the interview room. “[The Fenway Park operations team] did an amazing job using [the Celtics] to get the fans going. Today was loud. [The fans] were locked in. They stayed all the way to the end. I think it was a great night at Fenway. I know the boys probably had fun today. . . . I think this is the most they’ve been into the game and loudest since ‘21, to be honest with you.”
Over the last 12 games, the Red Sox have started to make a habit of forging electrifying comebacks. Monday marked the team’s fourth comeback win over the 10-2 stretch, and third time erasing a deficit of at least three runs.
The stretch has transformed the perception about what might be possible this summer. After pitching carried the Sox to respectability early in the year, the team — beset by the loss of several players — seemed deeply mediocre in all phases of the game in May.
But June has seen the team come roaring to life, led by a live-wire style of unrelenting baserunning aggressiveness (31 steals, most in MLB) complemented by a shower of extra-base hits (74, fifth 5th most) from young gamers who seem to be leveling up with each victory.
“A lot of guys are pretty young on this team, so I think you’re seeing them mature as baseball players in front of your eyes,” said pitcher Tanner Houck. “You’re seeing everything coming together.”
As the season nears the halfway mark, it’s impossible not to wonder: Is this level sustainable for the Red Sox? Is their 43-36 record — which has them in possession of the third wild-card berth — a reflection of not only what has happened but what can continue?
At a certain point, the doubts and skepticism about a team that most forecast to endure a third straight last-place finish have to give way to an acknowledgement of what has actually transpired. The Red Sox have forged an unexpected path, emerging as not only relevant but increasingly compelling to watch — a development that may end up prompting some very unexpected questions with the trade deadline now just over five weeks away.
“We’re rolling right now. We’re staying together. We’re just having fun,” said Duran. “That’s what baseball is all about — having fun.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 6:03:17 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Triston Casas undergoes MRI to check on rib cage injury, looks forward to swinging back into action for Red Sox By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 24, 2024, 10:46 p.m.
Triston Casas underwent an MRI Monday on his left rib cage strain that has kept the Red Sox slugger sidelined for roughly two months. Casas is progressing and the MRI was conducted to confirm that the strain is healing properly.
If all goes well, the first baseman can begin swinging, a hurdle that he’s struggled to clear the last few weeks.
“Feelings can be deceiving,” Casas said prior to the Sox’ 7-6 win over the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. “Sometimes you might feel good, but still might be recovering.That’s the need for the MRI, so we’re going to read it and make the evaluations after we talk to the doctor Tuesday.”
Casas will meet with doctors Tuesday at 5 p.m. He has missed 57 games, and the Sox have not generated much production from his position. In Casas’s absence, the club’s collection of first basemen have posted a .199 batting average, second-worst in the majors, and a .289 slugging percentage, the worst.
Casas was hitting .244/.344/.513 with an .857 OPS and six homers in 22 games. Sox first basemen have managed just four homers since he went on the injured list.
A target date for Casas to return is still the beginning of a series against the Marlins next week. That might be too ambitious, and Casas has acknowledged as much recently. But he is optimistic nonetheless as it pertains to his resumption of game action.
“Hopefully it’s a pretty quick progression,” Casas said. “I don’t anticipate that I’ll need much time after I feel great. I feel I’ll hit [the ground running] because I’ve been keeping up with everything else. My activities, baseball activities, working out, running around, ground balls and stuff, so I feel like it’s going to be a quick transition back to the game plan.”
Ins and outs
The Red Sox recalled catcher Tyler Heineman and righthanders Josh Winckowski and Isaiah Campbell from Triple A Worcester. Catcher Connor Wong, meanwhile, was placed on the paternity list while relievers Cam Booser and Brad Keller were optioned to Worcester.
Campbell was the first reliever out of the bullpen Monday night. He was hit for three earned runs and allowed an inherited runner to score before getting the final out in the seventh inning.
Since he was sent down last month, the Sox and Winckowski feel as though his stuff has improved.
“He feels like his changeup is actually good now,” manager Alex Cora said. “It felt like early in the season, he was trying to get swings and misses with it, and he was off. Not throwing strikes with it. And now he’s just throwing it over the plate and getting more outs.”
The Sox kept Winckowski stretched out this year. At the Triple A level, he has a 2.87 ERA in seven games (six starts) and 31⅓ innings pitched.
“The slider that I was throwing at the start of the year was almost identical to the cutter that I throw,” Winckowski said. “It really didn’t offer much. I’m throwing the slider a little bit slower and a little bit bigger right now and it definitely helps out with the pitch mix.”
Initially, Winckowski noted, he wasn’t thrilled with his demotion. At the time, he had a 3.33 ERA, in 24⅓ innings. Analytically, Winckowski also noted, his numbers don’t jump off the page since he lacks strikeouts, compiling just 19 in the majors this season and 29 in the minors. Related: After battling injuries, Tyler O’Neill is healthy and producing for the Red Sox
“Obviously the first couple of days I was a little grumpy,” he said. “But I feel like I tackled things well and worked on a lot down there. Worked on the changeup, slider, and the cutter, and just kind of throwing more strikes. I feel like I made a lot of progress down there.”
For now, Winckowski will remain in the bullpen despite the club only carrying four starters.
A moment for Mays
The Red Sox held a moment of silence for baseball legend Willie Mays, who passed away last week … Former Sox starters Clay Buchholz and Matt Clement were at Fenway in the afternoon. Clement pitched for the club in 2005-06 and was named an All-Star for the only time in his career in 2005. Buchholz, who was drafted by the Sox and played his first 10 seasons with the team, posting a 3.96 ERA, was an All-Star in 2010 and ’13.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 6:11:41 GMT -5
Red Sox aim to maintain mastery of Blue Jays FLM
A night after an exhilarating walk-off victory in the series opener, the Boston Red Sox will look for their fourth consecutive win when they oppose the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Jarren Duran (3-for-5) hit a single on Monday to score Ceddanne Rafaela with the game-winning run for the Red Sox, who trailed 6-2 after seven innings but came back for their eighth win in nine games.
Three of Boston's wins in that stretch came during a series sweep at Toronto early last week.
Rafael Devers (3-for-4 on Monday) and David Hamilton each homered and Romy Gonzalez hit a game-tying, pinch-hit, two-run single to help the Red Sox prevail with the NBA champion Boston Celtics in attendance.
"It was just amazing," Gonzalez said. "I've never really been a part of something like this, and hopefully we can just keep this thing rolling."
Duran has hit safely in a career-high 14 consecutive games.
The Tuesday pitching matchup is a rematch from the finale at Toronto last week. Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (7-4, 4.83 ERA) will oppose Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-6, 4.24).
Bello pitched six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts in Boston's 7-3 win on Wednesday.
"When you've got 97-98 (mph) with movement, a good changeup and a good slider, we want our guys to keep pounding the strike zone and he did," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Bello's latest outing. "(The starting pitchers) worked hard (last) week just controlling the counts and pounding the strike zone, and he executed the plan."
Bello is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA across six career starts vs. the Blue Jays. He was 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two outings against Toronto last year.
The Blue Jays saw their losing streak reach a season-high seven games on Monday when they fell to 8-14 in one-run games.
"Over the course of the last week, the guys are going about it the right way," Toronto manager John Schneider said. "They're not quitting."
The loss came despite Chris Bassitt pitching seven innings of two-run ball and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going 3-for-4 with a 471-foot, three-run homer. It was the longest home run of his career.
Schneider and his ball club will look to put the tough stretch behind them.
"My tone would be different if it was for a lack of effort or lack of prep. It's a tough stretch," Schneider said before the series. "You keep on moving. You've got to try to attack tomorrow for tomorrow."
Gausman has dropped back-to-back starts since throwing a shutout while striking out Oakland A's batters on June 8.
Last week against the Red Sox, Gausman was charged with five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
In 29 career appearances (24 starts) against Boston, Gausman is 7-10 with a 4.52 ERA.
The Blue Jays expect to get a Tuesday boost with the return of shortstop Bo Bichette, who hasn't played since June 14 due to a right calf strain. Outfielder Daulton Varsho (lower back tightness) was also out the past two days, and he is listed as day-to-day.
--Field Level Media
Blue Jays at Red Sox Tuesday, at 7:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 87° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 8 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 10:13:43 GMT -5
Game 80: Blue Jays at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated June 25, 2024, 43 minutes ago The Red Sox will look to keep the good times rolling when they continue their series with Toronto. For the Fenway faithful, it will be hard to top what happened Monday night, starting with the Celtics being honored before the game and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, and concluding with another dramatic win for the Sox. Down 6-2 in the eighth inning, the Red Sox took advantage of some defensive miscues from Toronto to rally for an improbable 7-6 victory. It was their third walk-off win of the season. The Sox have won eight of their last nine to improve to a season-best seven games above .500. The Blue Jays have dropped seven in a row, their longest losing streak since losing seven in a row Sept. 1 to 8 in 2019. Tonight’s pitching matchup between Brayan Bello and Kevin Gausman will be a rematch from last week, won by the Red Sox, 7-3. Here is a preview. Lineups BLUE JAYS (35-43): Bo Bichette (R) SS Spencer Horwitz (L) 2B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B Justin Turner (R) DH George Springer (R) RF Addison Barger (L) LF Danny Jansen (R) C Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) 3B Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Pitching: RHP Kevin Gausman (5-6, 4.24 ERA) RED SOX (43-36): Jarren Duran (L) CF Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B Wilyer Abreu (L) RF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Tyler O'Neill (R) LF Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Dominic Smith (L) 1B Reese McGuire (L) C Ceddanne Rafaela (R) SS Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (7-4, 4.83 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Blue Jays vs. Bello: Addison Barger 2-3, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 7-17, Spencer Horwitz 1-3, Danny Jansen 2-9, Kevin Kiermaier 2-7, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 1-4, Alejandro Kirk 3-6, Davis Schneider 0-3, George Springer 7-18, Justin Turner 1-2, Daulton Varsho 2-6 Red Sox vs. Gausman: Rafael Devers 7-27, Jarren Duran 6-13, Romy González 1-3, David Hamilton 2-5, Reese McGuire 4-8, Tyler O’Neill 1-8, Rob Refsnyder 5-18, Dominic Smith 0-7, Enmanuel Valdez 1-3, Masataka Yoshida 4-6 Stat of the day: The Red Sox are 34-4 when they’ve scored at least five runs, and have won their last 18 games when doing so. Notes: Jarren Duran is batting .419 during his 14-game hitting streak, which is the third longest active streak in MLB. … The Red Sox are 21-12 since May 19 and lead MLB with 14 wins in the month of June. … Gausman has dropped consecutive starts since shutting out the A’s on June 8. In last week’s loss to the Red Sox, he was charged with five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 5⅔ innings. … Bello pitched six innings of two-run ball to get the win. He is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in six career starts against the Blue Jays, going 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA against Toronto last year. … In 29 appearances (24 starts) against the Sox, Gausman is 7-10 with a 4.52 ERA. Song of the Day: Billy Idol "Mony Mony" www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYYAv-QW38Q
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 25, 2024 15:12:52 GMT -5
I read that first bullet point about Heineman being recalled and my heart sank. I was afraid Wong was injured. Thank goodness he's being placed on Paternity Leave and not the IL, but haven't we talked to these guys about not having their babies midseason? LOL Keep the good times rolling, Red Sox. Until just now, I was wondering why Heineman was in the game as catcher. Besides having no idea who he was, I was pretty certain that the RS weren't carrying three catchers. If I didn't come to this site and read all the stuff Jon posts, I would often have no idea of what is going on with our roster. Thanks Jon. On a related note, Heineman and Rafaela came up with a big caught stealing late in the game. Rafaela's reaction to the out call is yet another example of the excitement and emotion that these guys are playing with.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 25, 2024 15:17:42 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ Another win that is arguably the best of the season for the Red Sox.
You know things are going good when you’re having that conversation about multiple games the last few weeks.
It’s time to bury the Blue Jays. This was a great way to start. Down 6-2 and you ripped the game right out of their hands.
This group doesn’t have an ounce of quit. Doesn’t matter if you’re talking injuries, a taxed bullpen, or being down late. Impossible not to root for a team fighting this hard. Outside of the top of the 7th inning, this was another really fun game to watch. To be honest, I didn't think the Sox would be able to come back from the 6-2 deficit, but they continue to prove me wrong. It's amazing the turnaround that the offense has made in just a few short weeks. Let's keep it going!
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 25, 2024 15:21:43 GMT -5
Red Sox’ comeback win pumps up volume at Fenway, ‘loudest since ‘21′ | Sean McAdam
More to the point, the fans are starting to get on the bandwagon, too. You could see it — and hear it — Monday night. It began with the crowd getting behind the Celtics; it ended with the Red Sox earning their own tribute. This goes to show you that you don't need the superstar names to have a good and exciting team. If the team is winning, the fans will get behind them. That said, we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. It's been a great couple of weeks, but there is a long way to go. One game at a time.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 16:51:59 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb Red Sox' Jarren Duran has gone 6-for-13 (.462) with a homer, four doubles, no walks and five strikeouts in his career vs. Kevin Gausman who is starting today for the Blue Jays.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 16:52:57 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb Alex Cora said Liam Hendriks will throw his first bullpen later this week 5:50 PM · Jun 25, 2024 · 3,351 Views
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 16:54:38 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey Casas is meeting with the doctor today to review his MRI. He’s feeling good.
Liam Hendriks is throwing his first bullpen at the end of the week. 5:50 PM · Jun 25, 2024 · 6,378 Views
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2024 16:56:43 GMT -5
Gary M @nuggetpalooza #RedSox have allowed 3+ runs in last 16 games, their longest such streak of 2024 & tied for their 10th longest since 2000.
Out of 457 such streaks since '60 only THREE teams had win % of 67+%: '03 TEX (13-4) '62 NYY (11-5) '24 BOS (11-5) @bradfo @tomcaron @soxbooth @chriscotillo
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