Red Sox move one win from franchise history after Caleb Durbin’s late heroics

8 hours ago 2

The Boston Red Sox are no longer simply the hottest team in baseball. They are on the verge of matching a record that has survived for 80 years. Caleb Durbin launched a tiebreaking solo home run over the Green Monster with two outs in the eighth inning Monday, lifting Boston to a dramatic 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. The win extended the Red Sox’s remarkable streak to 14 games, the second-longest run in franchise history.

One more win would put this Boston team alongside the 1946 Red Sox, who won a club-record 15 consecutive games behind Ted Williams. Durbin’s swing also ended Baltimore’s seven-game winning streak and moved Boston to 51-48 after a turbulent start to the season.

Caleb Durbin delivers another unforgettable Fenway moment

The Red Sox and Orioles traded leads throughout the night before Durbin stepped to the plate against Tyler Wells with two outs and nobody on in the eighth. Wells tried to get ahead with a cutter, but Durbin turned on the pitch and sent a no-doubt home run into the Green Monster seats. Boston’s dugout began celebrating before the ball had even landed. The announced crowd of 37,659 erupted as Durbin rounded the bases and returned to a mob of teammates waiting near the dugout.

It was the perfect ending to another night in which Boston refused to go away. Baltimore took three separate leads, including a 5-4 advantage in the seventh inning. Each time, the Red Sox found an answer. Ceddanne Rafaela tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single, setting the stage for Durbin’s decisive swing one inning later.

Just unreal. pic.twitter.com/lR6ezkvwfE

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 21, 2026

Red Sox survive tense ninth inning

Durbin supplied the lead, but Aroldis Chapman still had to protect it. The veteran closer allowed Baltimore to put runners on second and third in the ninth, bringing Tyler O’Neill to the plate with a chance to tie the game or put the Orioles back in front.

O’Neill hit a line drive, but shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng secured it for the final out and stranded both runners. Chapman earned his 22nd save of the season and the 389th of his career. That moved Chapman within one save of Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for ninth place on MLB’s all-time list. Eckersley happened to be in attendance at Fenway Park for Monday’s finish.

Garrett Whitlock earned the victory after retiring Baltimore in order in the eighth.

MORE: Pirates-Yankees benches clear after heated exchange in eighth inning

Boston keeps finding different ways to win

The Red Sox did not play a perfect game, but their ability to capitalize on Baltimore’s mistakes helped keep the streak alive. The Orioles committed four errors, leading to two unearned runs. Three defensive misplays came during the third inning, allowing Boston to turn what should have been a scoreless frame into a two-run rally.

Wilyer Abreu delivered an RBI double before Willson Contreras added a run-scoring single. Contreras finished with three hits, including a game-tying RBI double in the sixth. Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle allowed four runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, but he also struck out nine and walked only one.

Baltimore received a spark from Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had been recalled from Triple-A four days earlier. He homered over the Green Monster in the fifth and added an RBI single in the sixth. Orioles starter Shane Baz surrendered four runs, though only two were earned, over six innings. He recorded six strikeouts without issuing a walk.

Red Sox can tie 80-year-old record Tuesday

Boston entered the series with the longest active winning streak in baseball. Baltimore arrived with the second-longest. Only one streak survived Monday night. The Red Sox have now won 14 consecutive games and 18 of their last 20, transforming themselves from an AL East afterthought into a legitimate postseason contender ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

They will get their first opportunity to match the franchise record Tuesday night at Fenway Park. Baltimore is scheduled to start Kyle Bradish, who enters with a 6-8 record and 3.61 ERA. Boston could activate Ranger Suárez from the injured list or use a bullpen game.

A win would give the Red Sox their 15th straight victory and tie the record established by Williams and the 1946 American League champions. After another comeback, another late hero and another nerve-racking finish, betting against Boston suddenly feels like a dangerous proposition.