The 1946 Red Sox had Ted Williams back from three years of service in World War II, six All-Stars in the lineup, and two in the rotation. They ripped off 15 straight wins in April of that year, outscored opponents 111–52 over the streak, and went on to win 104 games and the American League pennant.
The 2026 Red Sox have Jarren Duran, a first baseman-turned-third baseman named Caleb Durbin, and the worst record in the American League as recently as June 9. Their best pitcher is injured. Yet they tied those 1946 Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon, 6–3 over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a split doubleheader at Fenway Park, completing a franchise-tying 15-game winning streak that has turned one of the worst teams in baseball into a legitimate wild-card contender.
Aroldis Chapman closed the ninth for his 23rd save. The final out, as it was on Monday, came on a brilliant play by shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng going deep in the hole.
The Orioles were the patsies. This is now the second time in three days they have been on the wrong side of Red Sox history.
The First Inning Said Everything
The Red Sox took command immediately, torching Dean Kremer for four runs and five hits in the bottom of the first. It started with a bloop into center and a slow roller to second — nothing well hit — before Caleb Durbin lined a two-run single and Jarren Duran followed with a two-run triple. Kremer had not retired a batter and the score was already 4–0. The rest was procedural.
Kremer lasted six innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. He's now 1–3 on the season. Jake Bennett, a Red Sox rookie left-hander, worked 5⅔ innings in the win, giving up three runs on nine hits while allowing nothing that put the game in real doubt. Duran added a sacrifice fly in the third to make it 5–1. Ceddanne Rafaela homered over the Green Monster in the fourth.
The Orioles' Bright Spot
Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a solo home run into the batter's eye in the fourth inning, his second in as many games since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk last week. Tyler O'Neill drove in another run on a sun-aided double. Baltimore finished with 11 hits — more than Boston — but went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
The History
Boston's 15-game run ranks tied for fifth since 2000, equaling the 2000 Atlanta Braves and 2001 Seattle Mariners. The last team to win 15 or more straight was the 2021 Cardinals, who ran off 17. The Red Sox need two more wins to equal that.
What makes this streak unusual is where it started. Boston was 37–48 when it began. The 15th straight win brings them to 52–48, a near-literal turnaround. They're six games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and currently holding the third wild card. The Orioles, sitting at 49–53, are watching a team they may need to pass in the standings do this.
"A lot of respect," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said. "A 15-game heater is really impressive. It's tough to win one game in the big leagues, and them going and rattling off 15 straight is really impressive — they're playing really good baseball right now."
Baltimore heads into the nightcap with Kyle Bradish on the mound, trying to avoid getting swept in a doubleheader and watching Boston break an 80-year-old record.
Notes
Basallo to the IL. The Orioles placed Samuel Basallo on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to Monday. Already without Adley Rutschman — who went on the IL with left wrist inflammation Monday — Baltimore is now without both starting catchers simultaneously.
Basallo, 21, left Sunday's game in Houston after one at-bat and has not played since. He told reporters yesterday the shoulder was feeling better but a cage session Wednesday "didn't really go as planned," Albernaz said. "It wasn't like he was hurting hurting, but we're doing what's right for him."
Basallo is hitting .241 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs in 86 games this season.
Sam Huff started behind the plate in Game 1. Johnathan Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. Full details on the move →