BOSTON -- On the last day before the All-Star break, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told his players not to let their minds wander too far from baseball in hopes that the surge built in recent weeks could carry over.
By Thursday night, when the Sox held an optional workout, and, in Tracy’s estimate, 90 percent of the team showed up, it was clear his message got across.
Then came Friday’s opener of a day-night doubleheader, and the Red Sox got right back into the groove, stretching their winning streak to 10 games with 10-0 romp of the American League East-leading Rays that was punctuated by a six-run sixth inning that had a little bit of everything.
After a thoroughly frustrating first three months of the season, the Sox caught fire, and are 15-2 since June 25 to pull within a game of .500 (47-48).
“I think momentum is just a real thing in this game,” said third baseman Caleb Durbin. “We got some momentum right now. We're just trying to ride it out for as long as possible.“
Rookie Jake Bennett continued his recent mastery from the mound, firing six innings of one-hit ball. Masataka Yoshida stayed hot, falling a triple shy of the cycle.
Here were the things that mattered most in a successful return from the All-Star break.
1. Small ball becomes big
In the midst of that game-breaking bottom of the sixth inning, the Red Sox played small ball to perfection. A big-time rarity occurred as Boston dropped down back-to-back bunts that became RBI singles. First up was Carlos Narváez, whose bunt took a high chop on catcher Nick Fortes, who double clutched it before making a throw to first that was too late, as Romy Gonzalez scored.
Then it was Tsung-Che Cheng’s turn, and he put down a bunt that hugged the third-base line. Fortes tried to pick it up once he thought it had rolled just foul, but it was ruled a fair ball and Jarren Duran scored easily.
Per Elias, it was the first time a team has had back-to-back bunt RBI singles since the Nationals (Dee-Strange Gordon and César Hernández) pulled it off on May 22, 2022.
“Take what the game gives you,” said Tracy. “We have guys in our lineup that are gifted bunters. They can get it down. It doesn't mean we're going to do it every time, but when you have situations where you feel like you can add a run in that spot, or just sac a guy up to third to bring the infield in, we've been doing that for a while now, and credit to them, they buy in and they get asked to do a job and they execute the job. That's what baseball is all about, and they're doing a great job with it.”
2. Bennett rolls on
Bennett, called up in early June to supplant the struggling Brayan Bello, has emerged into a force, particularly during this torrid run the Red Sox are on.
During the 15-2 roll, Bennett has made four starts, going 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA. This is the third time in Bennett’s past five starts he hasn’t given up a run. Acquired from the Nationals in December, Bennett hadn’t pitched above Double-A until this season.
The lefty’s efficiency was striking in this one, as he threw just 65 pitches -- 42 for strikes.
“Strikes,” said Tracy. “Just throws strikes with all of his pitches. It's been the story since the very first game he got up here. It was the story when he pitched in Triple-A. He pounds the strike zone with all of his pitch types.”
3. Yoshida stays hot
Yoshida is another player who has gotten hot at the same time his team has. Since June 27, the left-handed hitter has a slash line of .452/.485/.871 with nine runs, four doubles and three homers in 33 plate appearances.
In the fourth, good fortune was on his side when he rapped a homer around Pesky’s Pole in right field with an exit velocity of just 87 mph. The “drive” had a .010 expected batting average.
After his single in the sixth, Yoshida had two chances to triple for his first career cycle. But he struck out and popped out.
“I think I was trying too much right there,” Yoshida said.