BOSTON -- The Rays already felt pretty good about the way they handled this challenging part of their schedule. They felt even better after finishing that stretch Sunday afternoon with a convincing 12-4 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

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Grinding through 17 games in 17 days without an off-day, the Rays went 12-5 and moved from the periphery of the postseason picture to the top of the American League Wild Card standings. After losing two in a row to Boston, Tampa Bay put together one of its most complete victories to cap one of its best stretches.

“This was a big one today. Wanted to win this game,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Even though we didn't win the series, we go into an off-day feeling good.”

They’ll have reason to feel that way as they rest Monday in Miami. Over the last 16 days, the Rays have gone from fourth in the AL East (and fourth in the Wild Card standings) to second in the division with the AL’s top Wild Card spot and the league’s third-best record behind the Astros and Yankees.

“It was just a great stretch before the off-day,” said catcher Christian Bethancourt, who moonlighted as a mop-up reliever for the second time with a scoreless ninth inning. “We knew it was going to be tough … and then this is when we really have to step up and be prepared for whatever.”

After being stifled by veteran starter Rich Hill on Saturday, Tampa Bay’s bats bounced back in a big way against Nick Pivetta and Boston’s bullpen. The Rays scored a season-high 12 runs on 17 hits, one shy of their season-high mark.

Isaac Paredes got on base five times and ripped two home runs, giving him a team-leading 18 in 81 games this season. By comparison, he hit two homers in 57 games the past two years for the Tigers, who traded him to the Rays for Austin Meadows on April 5.

The power surge has even surprised Paredes.

“I’m very happy for the opportunity that they've given me here. I'm finding out a lot about myself,” Paredes said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “And I'm starting to find out a little bit more of what I'm capable of doing, what my talent is capable of doing.”

“They always say in the dugout, 'We've got to be thankful to the Tigers for bringing Paredes,’” Bethancourt added. “I can agree to that. Every time the guy's up there, you think he's going to hit a homer.”

It wasn’t just Paredes. David Peralta was on base five times during a three-hit day highlighted by a pair of RBI doubles. Randy Arozarena smashed three doubles off the Green Monster to drive in two runs. Everyone in the lineup recorded at least one hit. Seven hitters drove in at least one run, and seven scored at least once.

“It was good to have a day like that,” Arozarena said through Navarro. “Not all games are going to be that way. We're all going to have our good days and our off days, but everyone did a good job today.”

The Rays hope to maintain that momentum before another grueling run begins: Starting Friday, they’ll play 24 games in 24 days, and wins won’t come easily during the final weeks of the season.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Rays’ remaining schedule has a weighted opponents’ winning percentage of .546, highest in the AL. After a two-game series in Miami, followed by another off-day, the Rays will play 24 of their remaining 34 games against teams that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

“You always want to play the best, and you want to prove you're the best. So I think this team is equipped for that,” starter Shane McClanahan said. “We're going to be facing a lot of those teams in the playoffs, so [we] might as well just start playing them already.”

With better health and better performance, the Rays seem to have hit their stride. Manuel Margot and Harold Ramírez have returned to help the lineup. Key pitchers like Tyler Glasnow and J.P. Feyereisen are nearing rehab assignments. Wander Franco could provide another boost next month. As Cash noted Sunday morning, the Rays are starting to look more like the “very, very good team” they expected to be coming out of Spring Training.

Maybe they’re just getting started.

“We've performed very well,” Cash said. “We think we have a chance to even be better.”