It's hard to believe that the New York Yankees had not won 11 games in a row since 1985, back when Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield and Ken Griffey Sr. patrolled the outfield, given they've won the most games in the majors over those 36 seasons. They had won 10 in a row six times in the intervening years but lost the 11th game each time.
So when dangerous Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman stepped up in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday with two outs, the bases loaded and the Yankees clinging to a 5-4 lead, the moment held a playoff-like tension between two potential World Series combatants, with the winning streak on the line.