Red Sox Reach Wild Card at 50-48, Climb to No. 15 on 13-Game Streak

Q: Can Wilyer Abreu's historic power surge carry Boston through one of the league's toughest remaining schedules?

Probably not by himself, but Abreu’s surge can be a major reason Boston stays in the race. Abreu is on a real heater, not a fluke headline. He has four homers in two games, 15 on the season, a .266 average, a .794 career OPS, and strong quality-of-contact indicators, including a 12.8% barrel rate and 90.1 mph average exit velocity. He is also giving Boston value beyond the bat with high-end defense and baserunning, which matters over a difficult second half. Still, the evidence says Boston’s turnaround is bigger than one hitter. The Red Sox have won 12 straight because they are getting contributions across the roster, including Rafaela, Yoshida, Jones, a strong bullpen led by Chapman, and elite team defense that leads MLB in Defensive Runs Saved. Under interim manager Chad Tracy, they have gone from 10-17 to 49-48 and into the wild-card picture. That broader formula will matter because Boston’s remaining schedule is among the tougher ones in the AL wild-card chase. One estimate puts the Red Sox’s remaining strength of schedule at .501, around the 12th-hardest in MLB. That is manageable, but not something one hot bat usually carries alone. If Abreu keeps producing at this level, he can absolutely swing close games and help Boston survive the schedule. But for the Red Sox to hold a playoff spot, they will need the same mix that fueled this streak: run prevention, bullpen stability, lineup depth, and likely reinforcements from injured players or the trade deadline.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 19

Boston moved from last place at 37-48 on July 3 to a wild-card spot at 50-48, extending the majors' hottest run to 13 straight wins after sweeping Tampa Bay.
A 2.27 ERA over the last 27 games has driven the surge: Red Sox starters are 14-2 with 19 quality starts in that span after the club pivoted toward run prevention.
The streak has also reshaped Boston's deadline outlook, making an Aug. 3 sell-off far less likely as the club has won 18 of its last 20.
USA TODAY Sports lifted the Red Sox four spots to No. 15 in its power rankings, with six more division games against Baltimore and Toronto next.