Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Happy About How Boston Entering Break

The fact the Red Sox enter the MLB All-Star break in last place in the highly-competitive American League East is not lost on Boston manager Alex Cora. However, there’s still something to be said about the recent stretch the ballclub has been on, and the momentum it’s built entering the second half.

Cora knows that, too.

Boston completed a sweep of the Oakland Athletics on Sunday with a 4-3 victory. It marked the fifth straight win and eighth win in the last nine games for the Red Sox. The group enters the midway point in better standing than many might have anticipated prior to their three consecutive series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Athletics.

After sweeping two of those three series and winning all of them, the Red Sox now are just two games back of a wild-card spot.

“This was a great weekend. So enjoy the break, but got to be ready,” Cora told reporters after the win, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I’m glad we ended off first part of season this way. We’re playing good baseball. But we still need to reset. I’m not going to be the guy who says, ‘Oh, I wish we play tomorrow.’ Because that’s not true.

Cora added: “We’re playing good baseball. I think offensively there’s a lot of guys doing a lot of good things now. For a month and a half we didn’t hit with men in scoring position. But the line is moving, the guys are driving them in. It’s a good feeling, but we got work to do. We’re still last in the American League East.”

“It’s a good feeling, but we got work to do. We’re still last in the American League East.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora

Among those offensive contributions, Justin Turner has a nine-game hit streak going while both Jarren Duran and Christian Arroyo are riding six-game hit streaks. All three played a role in Boston’s series-sweeping win Sunday with Arroyo’s RBI double in the sixth inning tying the game.

The shift is felt in the locker room, as well. Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall and Arroyo talked about it after the contest.

“I think we’re getting some momentum right now and it’s good to take it into the break,” Duvall told reporters, as seen on NESN.

Here are more notes after Red Sox-Athletics on Sunday:

— Masataka Yoshida showed off his hand-eye coordination as he lifted a 95 mph fastball from Ken Waldichuk into the Green Monster seats. The 353-foot shot ultimately provided Boston with the game-winning run.

“What’s he’s doing is what good hitters do,” Cora said on Yoshida, who was hitting .313 entering Sunday. “I’m glad we took a chance.”

— Before the game, Cora was asked about his decision to sit Jarren Duran and explained how the Red Sox have different roles for different players. Starting against a left-hander caused Duran to start on the bench, but when the Athletics gave the ball to right-hander Paul Blackburn in the sixth inning, Cora inserted Duran for Kike Hernandez. The speedy outfielder put together a good at-bat in that situation, but didn’t reach base. Duran did, however, record a hit in the eighth inning and then took second on a heads-up play on the base paths.

Duran now enters the break going 14-for-23 in his last six games.

— Joely Rodríguez came through in a critical spot for the Red Sox as he entered the game in the seventh inning with runners at the corners in a tie ballgame. Rodríguez then retired all three batters he faced, including striking out the final two of the inning.

“That’s huge,” Christian Arroyo told reporters of Rodriguez’s contributions, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “That’s the kind of stuff winning teams do.”

— Red Sox pitcher Tayler Scott, who was making his first start since the 2019 campaign, allowed one unearned run on two hits in his lone inning of work. The Red Sox are the ninth MLB team Scott has played for.

— Boston, which earned its fifth series sweep of the season, compiled the best record in the American League over the final 26 games. The Red Sox went 16-10 over that span while the Cleveland Guardians went 15-11 after their loss Sunday.

— After getting to watch closer Kenley Jansen in the MLB All-Star Game, the Red Sox start the second half of their season Friday night against the Chicago Cubs.