All good things must come to an end.
The Boston Red Sox had their 15-game winning streak snapped when the Baltimore Orioles handed them a 5-1 loss in the nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Boston's run tied a franchise record for consecutive wins, a milestone that had stood untouched since 1946. The Red Sox matched the 80-year-old mark with a victory earlier Wednesday.
The Red Sox fell behind early in Game 2 of the doubleheader. Opener Eduardo Rivera allowed four runs in two-thirds of an inning, giving the Orioles a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Rivera's wild pitch brought the first run home before Dylan Beavers laced a two-run single and Johnathan Rodríguez added an RBI double.
Brayan Bello pitched 5 1/3 frames of shutout ball to keep the game close as the bulk pitcher, but his effort was all for naught, with Boston's bats mustering just five hits. Orioles starter Kyle Bradish allowed one run over six innings of work.
The loss was Boston's first since July 1, when they fell 10-2 to the Washington Nationals. At that time, the team owned the AL's third-worst record at 37-48 and was 14 games behind the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays, with a summer sell-off all but guaranteed.
The Red Sox are now 52-49 and sit in the final AL wild-card spot, two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners and three up on Baltimore and the Minnesota Twins. They've also leapfrogged both the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East standings and sport the Junior Circuit's second-best run differential.
Boston won 15 straight despite missing several key players due to injuries, including shortstop Trevor Story, outfielder Roman Anthony, and All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez.
The Red Sox will look to get back in the win column when they open a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday in Boston.
