On July 5, the Boston Red Sox edged the Los Angeles Angels to push their record to an astounding 54-32. This was a Boston team that was expected to loiter in self-inflicted mediocrity, but it was suddenly four-and-a-half games up on the second-place Tampa Bay Rays and 10.5 ahead of the dejected, fourth-place New York Yankees.
The Red Sox had swept the Yankees twice over the previous month, once in Boston and once in the Bronx. In a season where the San Francisco Giants were pulling off a similar and frankly more amazing trick, a narrative was picking up steam fast.