On Wednesday night, July 23 -- Three weeks ago, the Red Sox were planning to sell.

the longest winning streak in 125 years of franchise history.

The Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader, their 15th consecutive victory, matching a standard set in 1946 when Ted Williams anchored one of the most celebrated Boston lineups of the century. No Red Sox team had strung together 15 straight wins in the eight decades since.

The franchise record doesn't carry an asterisk. But the context that surrounds it might matter more than the number itself. Boston entered July below .500, widely cited as a probable seller at the August 1 trade deadline. The last 21 days have dismantled that calculus completely....