The Boston Red Sox have hit another snag in the skies. For the third time since June 24, the team’s plane broke down, this time after a triumphant road sweep of the reigning two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Outfielder Jarren Duran took to his Instagram story to reveal a photo of the latest incident, a stark reminder that even the hottest team in baseball can’t escape mechanical gremlins.
The Red Sox capped off their impressive weekend with an 8-4 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday evening, extending their remarkable run to 28-5 in their last 33 games. Yet the celebration was tempered by another grounding. The team finally got airborne, but only after a delay of five hours and two minutes past their original departure time. The scene might have been frustrating, but the Red Sox have a history of shaking off these setbacks.
When the first plane issue occurred on Wednesday, June 24, Boston was in a very different place. The Red Sox were 32-46, sitting dead last in the American League East, after losing two of three to the Colorado Rockies. As they set off for a four-game series against the New York Yankees, their plane turned back to Denver just 34 minutes after takeoff. The culprit: issues with the plane’s hydraulics and landing gear, according to Chris Cotillo of Mass Live. After waiting roughly five and a half hours, the team boarded a new plane and headed east. That disruption didn’t seem to faze them—the Red Sox swept the Yankees in four straight.
The second breakdown came on Thursday, July 9, after Boston had finished a sweep of the Chicago White Sox to extend their winning streak to six. The plan was to fly to New York to face the Mets, but mechanical issues grounded the team for nearly a full day, per the Associated Press. The start of the game was delayed 36 minutes to accommodate their late arrival. Once again, the Red Sox turned adversity into momentum, sweeping the Mets and carrying a nine-game winning streak into the All-Star Break.
Now, with a third plane issue in six weeks, the Red Sox are showing a strange resilience that coincides with their hot streak. The latest scare didn’t stop them from leaving town, but it added another chapter to their travel troubles. Their next challenge comes on the field, as they head home to face the Chicago White Sox.