The Boston Red Sox's 14-game win streak has salvaged their season, but they are not out of the woods just yet.
If the season ended on Monday night, the Red Sox would be in the postseason as the final wild-card team. They are in a much better spot than two weeks ago, but even when the streak ends, they have very little room for error. Entering play on Tuesday, the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins are all within three games of a wild card spot, threatening to bounce the Red Sox out of the dance.
The reality is, all the Red Sox's win streak has done is make up for an abysmal start. They are still only three games over .500 and barely hanging on to a spot in the postseason. They trail the Cleveland Guardians by one game and the New York Yankees by 4 1/2 games in the wild card standings.
There is a world where the Red Sox stay hot all the way through the end of the regular season and erase the six-game deficit they face in the American League East standings. Regardless, they will need to continue to play stellar baseball down the stretch.
With the trade deadline approaching, Craig Breslow has an opportunity to add to his team. The team has some clear needs, and filling those needs will help them hang on to their postseason spot and potentially win the division. Given how close most teams are in the American League this year, the race to make the postseason will likely come down to the final week of the regular season.
This win streak won't matter if the team falls apart again. If this Red Sox team really wants to be remembered, they have to make the postseason and make a run. Considering where they were before the streak, it would make for one of the most memorable comebacks in team history.