Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Left ‘Optimistic’ After Win Over Tigers

The Boston Red Sox understand the amplified importance of each series, win, and inning moving forward amid their late-season rush toward securing a playoff spot in the American League wild card, and Friday night's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Detroit Tigers served as an encouraging step forward.

All of Boston's positive energy spawned from the gem delivered by starting pitcher Tanner Houck, who dominated the Tigers lineup through six shutout innings of work. Houck surrendered just three hits to Detroit while walking two and striking out six in the no-decision, which ended up coming in handy toward the later innings. The right-hander did everything within his control to best position the Red Sox to begin their six-game road trip, leaving its skipper feeling good for what's to come.

"That's why I'm very optimistic. I think we're turning the page starter-wise," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, per NESN's postgame coverage. "They're going deeper into the games, giving us a chance to win. So if continue to do that, it should be fun."

Boston's received now three consecutive quality outings in which its starters have held opponents to two runs or fewer, which has included shutout performances from Houck and Bryan Bello. That's made the team's mission of staying in the win column as much as possible while allowing the rest of the league to take its course within the standings race and will remain the primary focus. The Red Sox can only aim to control what they can control, but judging from the last three performances logged by the starting rotation, the roster's arms are well aware of the mission at hand.

"I think it really starts with us (starting pitchers) on how the game starts," Houck said, per NESN's postgame coverage. "If we're falling behind and walking people, we're not putting the team in the best position to win. So, this little stretch of us all kind of clicking together and putting some quality starts together is big. It's time to step up and keep doing it."

The Red Sox left Comerica Park on Friday night with an improved 3.91 ERA from starting pitchers in 66 road games played this season.

Here are more notes from Friday night's Red Sox-Tigers game:

-- Red Sox rookie Ceddanne Rafaela belted a go-ahead two-run home run in the 10th inning off Detroit's Shelby Miller to give Boston a much-needed lead, and with some insurance in the biggest at-bat of the night.

"We grind until the end," Rafaela said, per NESN's postgame coverage. "That was a great ballgame and keep it together and win as a team. I was just to be more (reactive). He got me with two, I had to make adjustments and I did right there. I think I'm still learning every day. I think guys even with tenures are still learning every day."

-- Boston outfielder Jarren Duran sprinkled in some insurance with a solo home run in the 10th inning as the 27-year-old finished 3-for-5 at the plate with an MLB-leading 20th leadoff extra-base hit while also tying Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm for baseball's lead in doubles (44).

"I feel like we've had a lot of situations like that this year where we get punched in the mouth and punch right back," Duran told reporters, per NESN's postgame coverage. "It's just something that we have in our back pocket that we're able to pull out and we have such a young group and competitive group, I feel like we never make any situation too big. We just go out there and have fun."

-- The Red Sox have won five of their last eight road games. Boston also improved to 39-27 on the road and 5-3 in extra-inning away games this season.

-- Standings watch: The Twins sit ahead of the Red Sox by three games for the final wild card spot after Minnesota defeated the Blue Jays 2-0 shortly after Boston's win.

-- The Red Sox and Tigers will continue their three-game series on Saturday night. First pitch from Comerica Park is set for 6:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.