​After dropping two out of three to the Washington Nationals last week, the Boston Red Sox set out on a nine-game road trip that would help define their season before the All-Star break. They began by sweeping the Los Angeles Angels and then faced a three-game series with the surprising first-place Chicago White Sox. Boston completed the sweep on Wednesday afternoon with a 2-1 win, and the Red Sox suddenly found themselves within reach of the final American League wild-card spot.
The victory on Wednesday marked their sixth straight win heading into a weekend series against the New York Mets in Queens. Before departing Boston for New York, first-year third baseman Caleb Durbin spoke about what was fueling the recent success. Following the one-run victory over Chicago, Boston had rattled off 11 wins in 13 games over the last two weeks, a stretch that began with a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.
What’s driving the turnaround, Durbin said, is simple and direct: “We’re just playing winning baseball. I think we’ve been close for a while but were just on the wrong side of it. Now we’re on the right side of it, and you could feel the momentum around the clubhouse.” Durbin’s words echoed the mood around the Red Sox, who have been riding a wave of confidence as they chase postseason contention.
A significant part of the turnaround has been Durbin’s own effectiveness at the plate. He has belted eight home runs since June 10, including a two-run homer off Chicago’s Anthony Kay on Wednesday afternoon that proved decisive in the 2-1 victory. Yet Durbin remained measured about his personal peak, insisting he’s not yet reached his potential. “I’m not close to my potential as far as those numbers go,” Durbin told reporters, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “Just trying to keep stacking good at-bats.”
Boston’s pitching has been a major factor in the turnaround as well, providing the staff with a strong foundation to win close games. Interim manager Chad Tracy noted the improvement in the team’s overall performance, including a standout moment for pitcher Patrick Sandoval. Making his first MLB start since June 2024, after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Sandoval worked 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and one run while striking out five and walking one. He threw 65 pitches, and Tracy did not hide his appreciation: “It was really good. The velocity was up. It was good to see. He was in the strike zone. Landing all of his pitches for the first time in, I don’t know how many days it was — 700 days or whatever it’s been? Pretty darn good.”
With a weekend series against the Mets on the horizon, the Red Sox looked to keep the momentum rolling and carry the opportunity into the All-Star break. They had to navigate the series without Willson Contreras, their All-Star first baseman, who began serving a five-game suspension that was reduced by two games. Winning the three-game set in Mets territory without Contreras would give Boston serious momentum heading into the break—a trajectory nobody saw coming just a few weeks earlier. As the team aimed to build on its recent surge, fans could sense the potential for a meaningful sprint to the postseason, driven by timely hitting, steady pitching, and a renewed sense of collective confidence throughout the clubhouse.