Brad Stevens may not have meant to do it, but the Boston sports mood has been tilted hard in the Red Sox’s favor ever since the Celtics shipped Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The timing is too neat to ignore, even if the logic is flimsy. The Red Sox have not lost since that trade, and the run has turned into one of the first real hot stretches of their season.
The Celtics’ move was reported on the evening of Wednesday, July 1, when Boston sent Brown away for Paul George and draft picks. The Red Sox had already dropped that day’s game to the Washington Nationals. After that, they took the field on July 3 and haven’t been beaten since.
Here’s the run they’ve stacked up:
Red Sox 5, Angels 2
Red Sox 8, Angels 1
Red Sox 7, Angels 5
Red Sox 8, White Sox 1
Red Sox 5, White Sox 0
Red Sox 2, White Sox 1
Red Sox 6, Mets 2
Red Sox 4, Mets 0
Red Sox 3, Mets 2
That last one came with a late rally against the Mets in the final game before the All-Star Break, which only added to the feeling that everything was breaking Boston’s way.
Of course, nobody is seriously arguing an NBA trade caused an MLB winning streak. But in a city where every sports move gets cross-checked against the local mood, the coincidence has been hard to miss.
The Red Sox will try to keep it going when they return to action on Friday. And for now, Stevens at least gets the joke: he may have moved the basketball world, but he also managed to give Fenway Park a little extra lift.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Tied To A Blockbuster Rumor That Feels Off
A rumor with a massive footprint started making the rounds around the Red Sox when a Spanish-language pregame host posted that Boston had opened trade conversations for a young Nationals outfielder, with the expected asking price sounding steep from the start. It is the kind of idea that can set off instant speculation, but it also lands in a place where the fit is not especially clean, especially with Boston already carrying real outfield depth.
The bigger obstacle is on the Washington side, where there is little obvious reason to move a player the Nationals view as part of their future. Even if Boston were willing to put together a serious offer, the sort of package that would have to be considered would likely be painful enough to test how far the Red Sox would actually want to go, and there has been no official confirmation that talks have even begun. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Sale Opened Up About His Red Sox Exit And It Stings
Chris Sales reflections during the 2024 All-Star Game broadcast landed with the kind of weight that only comes from a player looking back on a complicated chapter. The 10-time All-Star spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, and even with the injuries that slowed the end of his run in Boston, he made clear how much that stretch still means to him. He also acknowledged the fans who stood by him through it all, even as his time with the club ended in a way that never quite matched the expectations that came with it.
Sale said he had committed to giving everything he had in what would have been his final season with Boston, a promise shaped by how much he felt he owed the organization after the injuries. He also admitted the frustration of not being healthy enough in those last years, which made the exit sting even more. Now with the Braves, Sales comments served as a reminder that for all the change, the bond between him and Red Sox Nation still carries plenty of unfinished emotion. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Rotation Arm Drawing Trade Interest
The rotation picture in Boston has shifted enough that clubs around the league are watching closely, and the Red Sox could find themselves with a movable arm if the right offer comes along. Patrick Sandoval has re-entered the mix after a long injury absence, and his return gives Boston another healthy starter in a group that has been thinned and then replenished as the season has worn on.
For a team like St. Louis, sitting near the Wild Card line and trying to avoid paying premium prices for a short-term fix, that kind of profile is worth monitoring. Sandovals recent first start back was encouraging, and with his contract and injury history shaping how rival front offices view him, he fits the sort of affordable pitching addition that can linger on the deadline market even as bigger names dominate the conversation. [Read more 🡒]