ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian Perfectly Summarizes Red Sox’s Roller-Coaster 2026 Season originally appeared on NESN.
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It may sound like a cliche, but the 2026 campaign was truly a season of ups and downs for the Red Sox.
Boston lost eight of its first 10 games at the beginning of the regular season, falling to 14 games under .500 in June. Then, a weather delay in Denver gave the team a chance to bond, and the Red Sox rattled off a 15-game winning streak in July, eventually pushing their record to 14 games over .500 in a span of just two months.
After the Yankees eliminated the Red Sox with a Game 2 win on Wednesday night, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian made an appearance on “SportsCenter” and provided some historical context for the stunning midseason shift.
“It was one of the great in-season turnarounds in baseball history,” Kurkjian told Scott Van Pelt. “They went from 14 under to 14 over in 62 days. Only one team, the 1914 ‘Miracle Braves,’ ever did it in fewer days from 14 under to 14 over.
“It’s amazing that they made the playoffs when Garrett Crochet didn’t pitch after April 25 in the regular season. And then with all of the injuries, including to Roman Anthony, who got hurt again in Game 1, it’s amazing they even made the playoffs.”
“The Yankees were just clearly the better team. … It was the bullpen that was the difference.”@Kurkjian_ESPN tells @notthefakeSVP how the Yankees were able to overwhelm the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/BUTIblmMA8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 1, 2026
Unfortunately for Boston fans, Chad Tracy’s squad couldn’t carry that momentum into the playoffs. The Yankees rolled to the next round, outscoring the Red Sox, 19-2, across two rivalry games.
“But it ended poorly because they did not play well here in New York, and the Yankees were just clearly the better team,” Kurkjian said. “Scott, it was the bullpen that was the difference. The biggest strength for the Red Sox going into this series was their bullpen.
“They had the best bullpen ERA in [MLB], but then they gave up 15 runs, the bullpen did, in two games. That was a big difference.”
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