Red Sox keep rolling, sweep first-place Rays, match second-longest winning streak in club history

The Red Sox keep winning and in the process are making history along the way. 

Boston defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park to extend its winning streak to 13 games, matching the second-longest streak in franchise history. 

The Red Sox have now swept four consecutive series against the Angels, White Sox, Mets and Rays and improved to 50-48, marking the first time they’ve been two games over .500 this season.

“We beat a very good team four times,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “They’re a very good team. And we’ve beaten some other good teams, like the White Sox who have been playing very good baseball. That’s important that you’re feeling like you’re winning games against clubs that have the chance to be in the playoffs.”

The streak is Boston’s longest since July 1948, when Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky helped the club win 13 straight. The Red Sox now sit just two victories shy of tying the franchise record of 15 consecutive wins set during the 1946 season.

Sunday wasn’t Boston’s cleanest performance, but it was another example of how different this team looks from the one that struggled through the season’s first three months.

Sonny Gray never found his best command, yet repeatedly escaped trouble to earn his 12th victory of the season. The veteran right-hander allowed one run on five hits over six innings, walking four and striking out five while recording his ninth consecutive quality start dating back to May 30. He’s the first Red Sox starter to string together at least nine straight quality starts since Chris Sale in 2018.

Tampa Bay threatened throughout Gray’s outing but couldn’t capitalize, finishing 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven baserunners.

The Rays grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on one of baseball’s rarest plays.

Victor Mesa Jr. lined a ball into the right-center field triangle that skipped away from center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, allowing Mesa to race around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. 

Mesa Jr. recorded the 25th inside-the-park home run in Tampa Bay history. It was the first since former outfielder Jake Mangum hit one last July versus the Athletics. He also has homered in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. The speedy outfielder is swinging a hot bat, hitting four home runs in his last eight games, dating back to July 8. 

Rafaela recovered in time to make what appeared to be a throw that would have