Payton Tolle closed out the trip with a solid outing. The rookie, who entered Sunday with a 5-6 record and a 3.14 ERA, followed up an 8-1 win over the White Sox in his previous appearance by delivering another strong start. He helped Boston fend off a Mets lineup that had managed only two runs in the first two games of the series and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Saturday.
Saturday’s win set the stage for Sunday. Eduardo Rivera, filling in on short notice from Worcester that morning, delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings in just his second major league appearance. Andruw Monasterio and Masataka Yoshida each hit two-run homers as Boston blanked New York 4-0 behind a stout bullpen performance.
Tracy, reflecting on the turn of events, emphasized the improvement in all phases of the game. “We’re doing a lot of things right. We’re throwing the ball great. We’re getting clutch hits, we’re scoring runs early. So we just have to keep playing good baseball,” he said.
Boston’s nine-game road winning streak hearkens back to a 1977 squad that accomplished a similar feat on a West Coast swing, sweeping Anaheim, Seattle, and Oakland. That vintage lineup starred Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and Carlton Fisk, all of whom are now in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The current Red Sox story also invites comparisons to the 1988 season. That club, lagging by nine games in the standings in mid-July, fired manager John McNamara and promoted third-base coach Joe Morgan. Morgan’s leadership sparked a dramatic turnaround, ultimately helping Boston push for the AL East title before falling to Oakland in the ALCS. The 2026 team began its resurgence from a deeper hole, 10-17, and has built momentum on the road under internal leadership. While it remains to be seen whether this stretch will have the staying power of Morgan’s era, Sunday’s finish provided strong evidence that Boston has life heading into the All-Star break.
As the Red Sox look ahead, the focus will be on maintaining the current momentum, tightening play across pitching, defense, and timely hitting, and continuing to prove that their recent climb is more than a temporary spark. With a revitalized clubhouse and a road-tested streak in the books, Boston aims to carry this energy into the second half of the season.
