BOSTON – Coming off the exhaustion and the euphoria of the night before – an unforgettable 12-11 win over the White Sox in 13 innings that tapped out their bullpen – what the Red Sox needed more than anything on Friday night was a strong start from Payton Tolle.
What they got was the most dominant start of the rookie lefty’s young career.
Powered by Tolle (six innings, two hits, no walks, career-high 14 strikeouts) and another barrage of offense that allowed almost a complete reset by the bullpen, the steam-rolling Red Sox continued their summer surge with a 13-1 victory over the Athletics that extended the club’s latest winning streak to nine games.
In doing so, Boston (64-51) ripped off its 27th win in the last 30 games. Interim manager Chad Tracy’s squad is just the 10th team to go 27-3 or better in a 30-game single-season span since 1900, and the first since Cleveland in 2017.
While Boston’s recent feats continue to make statisticians dig through search engines, Tolle took center stage on Friday night. The 14 strikeouts were the most by a Sox pitcher since Chris Sale’s 17-K performance on May 14, 2019, and best by a Boston pitcher 23 or younger since Roger Clemens punched out 20 for the first time on April 29, 1986.
“Good company,” Tolle said. “That means a lot. But it’s not the end. Just keep going. Just keep building off each one.”
When Tolle walked off the mound after his final frame, chants of “Tolle, Tolle, Tolle” could be heard from the latest sold-out crowd (37,227) at Fenway.
“That's a first for me. It was pretty cool,” said Tolle. “Not gonna lie.”
There has been a constant buzz at Fenway ever since the All-Star break, and Tolle’s powerful performance provided more excitement.
“Sometimes I forget what day of the week it is because the stadium is sold out every single day,” said left fielder Jarren Duran, who bashed a two-run homer to the opposite field to spark a five-run second inning. “We just owe it to the fans just coming and supporting us on this run, so it’s been awesome.”
Meanwhile, Tolle demonstrated what it looks like for an opposing offense when he is in full command of his power and finesse.
Catcher Jake Rogers, acquired from the Orioles earlier this week as part of the Adley Rutschman blockbuster, enjoyed being on Tolle’s side this time, getting a perfect view from 60 feet, six inches away in his first start for his new team.
“It was electric,” said Rogers. “I love his mentality. He goes up there and throws his stuff over the plate and it’s just ... I’ve seen him from afar. But to be behind the plate and see some electric factory, that was pretty fun.”
It reminded Rogers of a different power lefty he used to catch in Detroit named Tarik Skubal.
“That’s how it felt tonight. It felt kind of like when me and Skub were on the run in ’24, it was like I could call anything and they were going to have weak contact or swing and miss, and it felt like he had it tonight,” Rogers said. “Just a tip of the cap for him for coming in the zone and challenging those guys. He did a great job.”
On a night Tolle topped out at 99.5 mph and threw 14 pitches at 98 mph or higher, he repeatedly made the knees of Athletics batters buckle on his curveball. Of Tolle’s 15 benders, he got 11 strikes, including five for punchouts.
Making it even more impressive is that Tolle needed just 84 pitches to accumulate those 14 K’s. He struck out the side in three different innings and had a perfect game through four.
It felt something special could be happening as early as the top of the third, when Ceddanne Rafaela swooped into the gap in right-center to make his latest brilliant diving catch to take extra bases away from Jonathan Ornelas.
Tolle jumped in the air and punched his fist at the same time, then walked off the mound with a huge grin on his face. He found Rafaela in the dugout and hoisted him into the air.
“I jumped up and was hooping and hollering, so that was a big play to continue the momentum,” said Tolle.
The momentum has gone on for weeks, and nobody in Red Sox Nation is looking for it to end anytime soon.