Red Sox climb from AL East cellar to half-game of wild-card spot

Boston erases 6.5-game deficit in 10 days.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 121 min read

On July 2, the Boston Red Sox were in last in the AL East, had the fourth-worst record in the league and were 6.5 games Via @JeffPassan on X

What happened: On July 2, the Red Sox sat last in the AL East, held the fourth-worst record in baseball and trailed the final wild-card spot by 6.5 games, per Jeff Passan. Ten days later, Boston is a half-game behind Minnesota and Seattle for that spot. The stretch includes a seven-game winning streak and consecutive wins over the Mets, 4-0 and 6-2.

Why it matters: Boston leads its series against New York 2-0 entering Sunday's finale. The reversal comes a month after the club were positioned as sellers after sliding to AL East basement, a swing that complicates their approach to the trade deadline.

By the numbers: Red Sox are 44-48 with a seven-game winning streak, going 5-0 in their last five and outscoring opponents 4.1-3.9 per game this season. They've beaten the Mets 4-0 and 6-2 in the two most recent meetings.

What to watch: Boston plays the series finale against New York Sunday with the wild-card race tightening.

Sources

@JeffPassan 2026-07-12T00:32:39.008102+00:00

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