DETROIT -- Did three nights in Detroit change everything for the Red Sox?
It’s way too soon to know.
But this much is true: In pulling off their first series sweep of 2026 against the Tigers, capped by Wednesday’s 4-0 victory at Comerica Park, the Red Sox (16-21) played a brand of well-rounded baseball that hadn’t been seen since last season.
Solid starting pitching? Check. After a dominant performance by Payton Tolle on Monday and a rebound effort by Brayan Bello on Tuesday, Sonny Gray returned from his stint on the 15-day injured list with five scoreless innings to help complete the sweep.
Stellar fielding? Indeed, particularly in the bottom of the second inning on getaway night, when Wilyer Abreu likely changed the entire tone of the contest with a tremendous sliding catch on a sinking liner to get Gray out of a bases-loaded jam. The catch probability for the two-time Gold Glove Award winner, per Statcast, was 35 percent.
Timely hitting? Yep, especially on Monday (five runs in the seventh to overcome a 2-0 deficit) and Tuesday (10-run, 12-hit barrage), but not quite as much on Wednesday (four hits, 15 strikeouts).
Aggressive baserunning? For sure. Never more than when slow-footed catcher Carlos Narváez tagged and scored on a Statcast-projected 272-foot flyout to center by Willson Contreras as part of Boston’s two-run third inning on Wednesday.
The key for the Sox now will be to continue the good vibes as they kick off a seven-game homestand against the Rays on Thursday night.