​NEW YORK — Instant reactions to the Red Sox (44-48) easing through a grueling travel day with a 6-2 win over the Mets, extending their longest winning streak of the season to seven games on Friday:
1) The odds were heavily against Boston after a frenetic 24-hour journey that had players arriving at Citi Field barely two hours before the scheduled first pitch of 7:15 p.m. Yet the Red Sox played a controlled, wire-to-wire game to push their season-long winning streak to seven games. This marks the longest Boston win streak since the stretch from July 29 to August 5 of last season. The club has now won 12 of its last 14 and has pulled back to four games under .500 for the first time since April 20, when they stood 9-13.
2) Sonny Gray was not at his peak, but he still delivered a solid start in his final outing before the All-Star break. He worked through five hits and a walk, allowing just one run over six innings, while striking out three. New York went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position against him, and Gray offered enough soft contact to keep the Mets at bay. His first-half totals read: an 11-1 record with a 2.54 ERA over 95 ⅔ innings. It’s hard to overlook that he’s not headed to the All-Star Game after such a season, a decision many observers would consider a misstep given his performance.
3) Anthony Seigler continues to bring energy and a hot bat to the leadoff spot. Facing reliever A.J. Minter in the seventh, Seigler belted a two-run shot to the left-field foul pole, stretching Boston’s lead from 2-1 to 4-1 in quick fashion. Seigler has been a sparkplug, hitting .297 with an .868 OPS in 20 major league games this season, and his enthusiasm around the bases has been infectious. The Red Sox have found a surprising source of energy at second base, with Seigler delivering timely offense and lively presence throughout the evening.
4) Wilyer Abreu had a standout night, falling a triple short of the cycle. He walked, singled and doubled — including a near-miss homer that measured 111 mph off the bat — against Nolan McLean, and then continued his strong performance against left-handed pitching by homering off veteran reliever Cionel Perez in the ninth, a two-run shot that extended Boston’s lead from 4-1 to 6-1. Abreu’s performance marked his sixth three-hit game of a robust first half and his first homer since June 24, capping a late surge after his Colorado trip.
5) On the day he earned his first All-Star selection, Ceddanne Rafaela got a productive start in a small but meaningful way. He bunted in his first at-bat with a runner in scoring position, capitalizing on an error in left field by Juan Soto that had allowed Seigler to reach second to begin the frame. After that, Boston capitalized with two outs against McLean. Masataka Yoshida delivered a two-run double down the left-field line to open the scoring against McLean, who had been otherwise effective through six innings. Rafaela’s early bunt set the tone for a sequence that allowed the Red Sox to cash in and take advantage of McLean’s day.
In sum, Boston rode a mix of timely offense and solid pitching to withstand a challenging travel day and push its winning streak to seven games. The performance showcased multiple contributors across the lineup, with Seigler’s spark at the top, Abreu’s multi-hit, power-heavy night, Rafaela’s smart baserunning and small-ball execution, and Gray’s steady, workmanlike start combining to deliver a strong message as the All-Star break approaches.