2026 Red Sox Best Mets for Ninth-Straight Win
It’s improbable, it’s befuddling, and yet, it’s happening. On Sunday, the Red Sox won their last game before the All-Star break, beating the New York Mets 3-2 in 10 innings. This victory marks nine in a row for Boston, bringing them within half a game of a playoff spot. 40 years ago this October, the Sox had their most infamous appearance in Queens, as they fell excruciatingly short of a World Series title. Now, during the 2026 season that once threatened to live on in similar infamy, a three-game sweep at Citi Field is strong evidence that the demons of yore have been exercised.
Sox Show Some Necessary Fight
The Beantown boys were trailing 2-0 after eight innings. All season, this has not been a clutch team. They were previously winless in games in which they trailed after the eighth inning. This has been a period of radical change, however, and that winless streak was snapped thanks to two runs in the ninth and one in the tenth. It’s the most grit that they have shown all year, as players took great at-bats in the clutch, drawing walks and executing necessary small-ball offense. All of this will be paramount going forward, when baseball gets more serious.
Bello Throws Successful Innings
Brayan Bello had not pitched at the major league level in over a month when he took the mound in the fourth inning. The righty had struggled in his usual capacity as a starter all season, but relief appearances have been much more promising. Sunday was no different; in four innings, Bello gave up just two hits and one run, striking out five. His ERA coming out of the bullpen is .91, compared to 10.35 when he has the ball for the first. Maybe it’s time for the switch to be permanent.
It’s Time to Win at Fenway
A strange thing about this squad, which never lacks strange traits, is that they have been significantly better on the road than at home. Though the hot streak to begin July was amazing, it will be a new challenge to replicate the dubs at Fenway Park. The boys will have 10 opportunities to make that happen, as they begin the second half of the year with a homestand against the Rays, Orioles, and Blue Jays. It’s undeniable, however, that the energy has shifted. Let’s watch and see just how much.
