Morning Sports Update
“The dugout’s alive, and you still feel it in there.”
Caleb Durbin celebrates in the dugout after his clutch home run in the Red Sox win on July 20. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
July 21, 2026 | 10:47 AM
3 minutes to read
The Red Sox are running out of words to describe their winning streak: While it’s not exactly surprising to hear that Fenway Park is capable of producing memorable scenes, it might come as a surprise that this is happening in 2026.
After all, most of the first three months of the Red Sox’ season could be described as a disaster. Team manager Alex Cora was fired along with most of the coaching staff in April, and Boston slumped to a 32-46 record by June 24 (15.5 games out of first place).
Over the last two weeks, however, the picture has changed considerably. As the Red Sox have slowly cobbled together the second-longest winning streak in team history (14 games as of Monday’s win), the ballpark atmosphere has regenerated.
This built to a crescendo in the 6-5 win over the Orioles on Monday, especially for Caleb Durbin’s go-ahead home run in the eighth inning.
“I can’t imagine it being more electric [on Tuesday] than tonight, but it might be,” Durbin told reporters, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “We’ll see. Tonight was awesome, though. I can’t speak for anyone else. We haven’t really talked about it but shoot yeah, I want to make history here.”
He acknowledged being a bit overwhelmed by the scenes.
“There’s not a lot of times where, like, I blacked out, like they say,” Durbin admitted. “I think that was one of the moments where I just didn’t know what was happening. I was just going with it. And I couldn’t tell you what I looked like running around the bases.”
For Willson Contreras, the crowd’s intensity had an extra level.
“I felt right there like it was the [World Baseball Classic],” Contreras said, referencing the international tournament that he helped Venezuela win in March. “To be honest, I flashed back to when Willy [Abreu] hit that homer against Japan. I was telling [Durbin] that hitting a home in that part [of the game] is not easy.
“And I know he was 0-for-3 during the game,” Contreras continued, “but the most important thing is that you keep your mind clear and keep your head in a good spot, because you never know when the biggest at-bat of the night is going to take you.”
The Red Sox, having trailed the Rays in the American League East by 15.5 games less than a month ago, are now only six back. More importantly in practical terms, Boston is currently slotted in one of the wild card spots.
“The dugout’s alive, and you still feel it in there,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy.
His team will try to tie the club record for consecutive wins (set in 1946) on Tuesday against the Orioles.
“Even each time that we lost the lead, we did a good job in the bullpen,” he said. “Even when they lost the lead, they’d keep it to within a run to give us a shot. But they keep coming in feeling like if it stays there, we’re gonna have a chance to win the game. They’re playing good team baseball right now.”
Trivia: Caleb Durbin finished third in voting for National League Rookie of the Year in 2025. Who finished first?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He plays catcher in Atlanta.
Scores and schedules:
On Monday, the Red Sox defeated the Orioles 6-5 to extend their winning streak to 14 straight (second-longest in team history).
Tonight, the two teams play again at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
Tomorrow, the Revolution face Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium in the club’s first game since the World Cup break. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
And the Patriots begin training camp this week, with veterans set to report on Friday, and the first public practice getting underway on Saturday morning.
More from Boston.com:
Booth cam: The view (and call) of Durbin’s go-ahead home run.
On this day: In 2004, Red Sox fans were treated to one of the funnier (and more bizarre) Manny Ramirez moments. The inimitable outfielder decided to jump in front of an outfield throw from Johnny Damon, inserting himself as a hilariously unnecessary relay man in the process.
Daily highlight: Tsung-Che Cheng sealed yet another win for the Red Sox on Monday night with a great defensive play.
Trivia answer: Drake Baldwin
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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