The Boston Red Sox will put their 13-game winning streak to the test on Monday night when they welcome the also hot Baltimore Orioles to Fenway Park to kick off a three-game series. When they do so, they’ll do something that baseball hasn’t seen since 1884. 

According to OptaStats on Twitter/X, Monday's matchup will be only the second time in MLB history that two teams on winning streaks of seven or more games where their combined win streak is 20 or more wins will face off, and the first time such a matchup has occurred since September 1884, when the St. Louis Maroons put their 12-game winning streak on the line against the Washington Nationals and their 11-game unbeaten stretch. 

Baltimore’s unbeaten streak began on July 9 as they beat the Chicago Cubs 3-2 at Camden Yards to salvage the series finale. They then continued on with a three-game sweep of the struggling Kansas City Royals heading into the All-Star Break. Like the Red Sox, the Orioles continued their streak coming out of the All-Star break by sweeping the Houston Astros. As a result of its winning streak, Baltimore has gotten itself right back into the American League Wild Card picture, now trailing the Red Sox by two games for the final playoff spot. 

Much like Boston, Baltimore has been propelled by their pitching staff throughout the stretch. Orioles' pitchers have allowed only 14 runs in their last seven games, good for a 1.80 ERA, the third-lowest in baseball in that stretch. It is worth noting, though, that the Baltimore offense has struggled against two of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, Houston and Kansas City, both of which rank in the bottom five in baseball in ERA.

The Orioles offense has hit just .210 in its last seven games, relying on 11 home runs and a .294 batting average with runners in scoring position. They'll now come into Fenway Park to take on a Red Sox pitching staff whose 3.53 ERA is the fourth-best mark in the sport.

Unlike the Orioles, who have beaten up on two struggling teams, the Boston stretch has come against much tougher opponents, including an 11-0 record against New York, Chicago (AL), and Tampa Bay, the three best teams by record in the American League. 

The Red Sox will look to take sole possession of the second-longest winning streak in franchise history as two sides put their unbeaten streaks on the line. Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA) will get the start for Boston opposite Shane Baz (4-9, 4.19 ERA) for Baltimore. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.

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