Red Sox stretch streak to 14 after Caleb Durbin’s late Fenway blast
Caleb Durbin’s eighth-inning homer lifted Boston past Baltimore 6-5, pushing the Red Sox within one win of the club record.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Caleb Durbin sent Fenway Park into full roar Monday night, launching a two-out homer over the Green Monster in the eighth inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles, according to ESPN News Services.
The swing pushed Boston’s winning streak to 14 games, the second-longest run in franchise history. ESPN reported that the Red Sox can tie the club record Tuesday; Boston’s 1946 team, led by future Hall of Famer Ted Williams, won 15 straight.
The victory also ended Baltimore’s seven-game run, which ESPN described as the Orioles’ best winning streak of the season.
Durbin’s homer came against Tyler Wells, who fell to 2-2. ESPN reported that Durbin attacked a one-strike cutter and cleared the Monster, triggering a celebration by Boston players near the dugout.
Boston keeps rolling after rough start
ESPN Research said the Red Sox are the first major league team to win 14 consecutive games since the Milwaukee Brewers did it in August 2025.
The turnaround has been sharp. ESPN reported Boston is 19-2 over its past 21 games, the best record in MLB since June 25. Before that surge, the Red Sox were 32-46 through June 24, which ESPN said was the worst mark in the American League and the second-worst in the majors.
The latest win needed another late answer. Baltimore went ahead for the third time in the seventh inning when Tyler O’Neill’s run-scoring grounder was mishandled by second baseman Anthony Seigler, costing Boston a chance at an inning-ending double play, according to ESPN.
The Red Sox came back in the bottom of the seventh. Ceddanne Rafaela tied the game at 5 with a two-out RBI single, setting the stage for Durbin an inning later.
Orioles let chances slip
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, recalled from Triple-A four days earlier, drove Baltimore’s offense with a homer and an RBI single, ESPN reported. The Orioles also hurt themselves with four errors and gave up two unearned runs.
Encarnacion-Strand homered over the Green Monster in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Jeremiah Jackson and Encarnacion-Strand added RBI singles as Baltimore moved in front 4-3.
On the mound, Orioles starter Shane Baz allowed four runs, two of them earned, across six innings and struck out six. Boston starter Payton Tolle gave up four runs and struck out nine in 5 2/3 innings, according to ESPN.
Garrett Whitlock, now 5-1, handled a perfect eighth for Boston. Aroldis Chapman then closed it in the ninth for his 22nd save, getting O’Neill to line out to short with runners on second and third to finish the game.
ESPN noted it was Chapman’s 389th career save, moving him to 10th on the list since saves became an official statistic in 1969. He is one behind Dennis Eckersley, who finished with 390.
The series continues Tuesday night. ESPN reported Baltimore will start right-hander Kyle Bradish, who is 6-8 with a 3.61 ERA, while Boston is set to activate left-hander Ranger Suárez, 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA, from the injured list.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.