It's been 120 years since this last happened
For the first time in nearly 120 years, two teams carrying winning streaks of nine games or more will face off when the New York Yankees travel to Atlanta to begin a brief two-game series against the Braves.
Per the Elias Sports Bureau, this will mark just the second time in the modern era and the first instance since Sept. 7, 1901, that such a matchup has occurred.
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The last instance of such streaks being put on the line occurred when the Pittsburgh Pirates (winners of 10 straight) took on the Philadelphia Phillies (winners of nine in a row). The Phils won, 4-1.
The Yankees will be trying to win 10 games in a row for just the third time in the last 15 years, and they have sustained their current hot streak thanks in part to a number of strong performances from their starting rotation. Yankees starters have posted a 2.85 ERA since July 6, third best in the Majors in that span behind only the Dodgers (2.53) and Brewers (2.62).
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The Braves, meanwhile, have been led by an offense that is averaging 5.7 runs per game this month, third best in the Majors behind only the Rays (6.8) and Reds (5.9). Last year’s National League MVP Freddie Freeman has led the charge for the Braves’ bats, hitting .471 (16-for-34) with seven extra-base hits during his current eight-game hit streak.
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Both teams appear to be among the biggest winners of last month’s Trade Deadline, boosting their playoff chances to now north of 80 percent according to Fangraphs. The Yankees and Braves were on the outskirts of a postseason spot near the Deadline, but New York added notable names such as Joey Gallo, Anthony Rizzo and Andrew Heaney while Atlanta acquired Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler and Richard Rodriguez to bolster their stretch run.