Oakland Athletics shortstop Kevin Smith (4) is congratulated by second baseman Jace Peterson (6) after scoring a run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

MLB's worst team suddenly its hottest

By Gerrit Ritt | Last updated 6/13/23

Somebody break up the Oakland A's!

Just a week ago, the A's were on pace to be one of the worst teams in the history of the sport. They were 12-50 and had lost 16 of their last 18 games, a streak that included a franchise-worst 15 consecutive defeats on the road.

Fast forward to Monday night.

As if five straight wins in Pittsburgh and Milwaukee weren't enough, Oakland took it straight to baseball's best team, the Tampa Bay Rays, and came out on top 4-3 to win their sixth in a row.

The longest winning streak in baseball belongs to the Oakland Athletics

They are still 32 games under .500 pic.twitter.com/vXlUXEHdJi
— Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) June 13, 2023

That streak currently represents the longest in the big leagues, making the A's - yes, the A's - the hottest team in baseball. However, in a strange twist, they still happen to own the league's worst record, one game better than the Royals, who lost their seventh straight on Monday.

Shea Langeliers had a bases loaded double in the bottom of the fifth to breakup the scoreless tie and give Oakland a 3-0 lead off Tampa's Zach Eflin, who'd won four straight decisions for the Rays prior to Monday.

Look at the A's, man pic.twitter.com/MgHaGQN3IW
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 13, 2023

The A's will put that six-game streak on the line against the Rays again on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series against the AL East leaders. Oakland will send rookie Hogan Harris to the mound to make his second career start after getting his first MLB win in the victory over the Pirates this past Wednesday.

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