'This is Boston': Pedro talks up '26 Red Sox -- and they respond emphatically

BOSTON -- A slow start doesn’t always mean an empty finish.

Who knows that better than Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez?

His 2004 Red Sox played .500 baseball for a three-month stretch (May 1-July 31) during the regular season, then fell behind 3-0 to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series before making history, and ultimately winning the franchise’s first World Series in 86 years.

That isn’t to say the 2026 team compares to the ‘04 team in terms of talent or, especially, established veterans.

But Martínez, who took part in a ceremony that included all six living players who have had their numbers retired at Fenway Park, demanded that Boston and the Red Sox players keep the faith amid a tough start, which saw the team improve to 17-22 with Friday night’s 2-0 victory over the red-hot Rays.

“Every team has years where you have ups and downs, confusion and you have a lot of stuff that goes on, but hey, we're Boston,” Martínez said. “If there is something we know how to do, it is to stand up and fight. The city of Boston is known to be strong and to come back with a vengeance. This team, this city, this organization is going to overcome everything that we're going through right now, and I am extremely positive about it.”

Martínez, who has an advisory position in the organization that includes yearly trips to Spring Training, even offered his help if needed.

“And if there is anything I can ever do to help out, I pray to God that I'm healthy enough to come and do that for the city of Boston, because I love my Bostonians and we're going to be there -- just like they are for us, regardless of how much we struggle,” Martínez said. “This fan base is always there for us, and we're going to be there for them, and we're going to turn it around somehow.

“And I hope the players feel committed, just like I am. I hope everybody -- the organization, management, everybody -- just stays committed to changing whatever is wrong with us, and I'm positive that we're going to do it. This is Boston -- not any other city. This is Boston. We're used to doing this and going through this. I hope it doesn't last too long, but we're gonna do it.”

For this one Friday night, the players showed the type of spark that has been lacking at Fenway of late, riding home runs by Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela and a stellar pitching performance by rookie lefty Connelly Early, who went a career-high seven innings while allowing four hits and one walk while striking out eight.

For Boston, this was just the club’s third win in its last 11 home games.

The first step toward a revival will be making Fenway a home-field advantage again.

Overall, however, the Sox have won four of their past five games under interim manager Chad Tracy. And Boston stopped the Rays’ seven-game winning streak that started on May 1.

“I think we’ve been playing pretty good baseball lately,” said Rafaela. “I think it shows we’re a pretty good team and we’re going to be in a pretty good spot in September.”

While the most memorable games are won in the late innings, some are captured early, even ones like Friday that end with a tight score.

In the top of the third, Early was in a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam. He buckled down and struck out Ryan Vilade before getting the always-dangerous Junior Caminero on a 5-4-3 double play as the Fenway crowd of 35,052 roared with approval.

“Yeah, we won the game in the third inning -- or I won't say we won the game, but that saved the game,” said Tracy.

It was another sign of Early’s maturity at 24 years old.

“Huge double play,” said Early. “I think from that moment we had all the momentum.”

That definitely proved to be true in the bottom of the third when Abreu launched his sixth homer of the year and first at Fenway -- a solo shot that soared over Boston’s bullpen and into the bleachers at a Statcast-projected 427 feet.

An inning later, it was Rafaela’s turn, and he belted one over the Green Monster.

Early’s performance made a four-hit attack by his team stand up. And so, too, did the dominant late-inning relief crew of Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, who went six up and six down, striking out four of the six.

“It's a good formula,” said Tracy. “That starter takes you all the way to Whitlock and Chappy -- we feel good about our whole bullpen, but those two guys at the back end are pretty nails. So to get the game there with a two-run lead as well, and it lines up where Whit was in that top bucket of righties that lines up well. So it was outstanding.”