The Boston Red Sox are looking like postseason contenders. At 50-48, they are six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East lead, but do hold a wild-card spot. While sitting just two wins above .500 doesn't appear significant, it's a complete turnaround from where Boston sat just over a month ago.
On June 18, the Red Sox dropped to 29-43, were last place in their division and were coming off a four-game losing streak. However, since then, they have gone 21-6 and are currently riding a 13-game winning streak going into their matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
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With the Red Sox riding one of baseball's hottest stretches, the veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray acknowledged just how far the team has come since its early-season struggles. He wasn't afraid to admit that the team wasn't playing like a contender, but believes that has changed.
"We weren’t a good team, and that was a fact," Gray said, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. "But we’ve always had it in us and we are a good team. At the same time, you can’t get too high and you can’t get too low in this game."
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Throughout this season, Gray has been responsible for much of the team's success. In 18 starts, the 36-year-old has accumulated 101.2 innings, a 2.48 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP, 90 strikeouts and an opponent slash line of .229/.287/.373.
Boston and Gray will look to keep the momentum going with this three-game series against the Orioles. With confidence building under interim manager Chad Tracy, the Red Sox are aiming for a second straight playoff berth.
