At 6:13 p.m. ET on July 1, ESPN reported that the Boston Celtics traded guard Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, a deal that sent Paul George and draft picks back to Boston, according to Shams Charania.
The move coincided with a sudden turnaround for the other Boston team. Earlier that day the Red Sox had lost to the Washington Nationals, leaving them 11 games under .500 and in last place in the American League East. Boston had the day off on July 2 before beginning a road swing that carried through the All-Star break.
On that road trip the Red Sox went on a nine-game win streak, sweeping the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and New York Mets in succession. The run produced a plus-34 run differential and is tied for the third-longest unbeaten streak in MLB this season.
DraftKings and NESN reporter Lucy Burdge pointed out the timing between Brown’s trade and the Red Sox’s surge. Since June 25, Boston has gone 14-2, a surge that has closed the gap in the wild-card race: the team sits a half-game behind the final wild-card spot, though Tampa Bay’s AL-leading play keeps Boston 10 games back in the AL East.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Boston also became the first team in MLB history to enter the All-Star break on a win streak of nine or more in consecutive seasons; the Red Sox entered the 2025 break on a 10-game streak.
