The Boston Red Sox are feeling good.
After sweeping back-to-back cellar dwellers in the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, the Red Sox extended their winning streak to a season-best seven games by rallying past the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. They will look for a second straight win to start the four-game series on Friday night.
The season may have been full of ups and downs to date, but Thursday marked Boston’s 19th comeback win.
“That’s the type of team we are; we never lose hope, and we always battle,” Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela said. “It was a battle (on Thursday) — and we won the battle.”
Rafaela had two of just four Boston hits in the series opener, including the deciding two-run single during a three-run seventh inning.
The Red Sox had not named a starting pitcher for Friday’s game, but the assignment of reliever Isaiah Campbell to Worcester cleared a spot for Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 4.10 ERA), who is now expected to come off the injured list (right elbow strain) and make the start.
“We’re deeper than other years,” Boston manager Alex Cora said before Thursday’s game. “You feel like in that spot, if something happens, somebody will be here and do the job.”
Dobbins and fellow youngster Richard Fitts — who earned his first career win Monday before returning to Worcester — have both been strong when called upon.
Dobbins’ last start was on June 20, when he allowed four earned runs in a four-inning no-decision at the San Francisco Giants. Friday will mark his first career start against Tampa Bay.
Also due to return is third baseman Alex Bregman, who is expected to forgo a rehab assignment in the minors to play Friday or Saturday. He had a right quad strain.
“He’ll play two of the games (prior to the All-Star break), let’s put it that way,” Cora said.
The Rays will look to turn things around following their fifth loss out of seven on their 10-game trip. It was their 16th loss in a one-run game this season and came despite a quality start from Taj Bradley.
Manager Kevin Cash entered the series with hope after the Rays acquired reliever Bryan Baker from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
Baker is expected to offer major help in a bullpen that had a 7.20 ERA over the past two weeks. Unable to build on Junior Caminero and Ha-Seong Kim homers, Baker took the loss following Boston’s big inning.
“Something that we probably needed. He’s going to add to it,” Cash said. “He’s pitched really well for the Orioles this year, and he’s gotten outs against us. It’ll be nice to be able to hand him the ball and get some outs for us now.”
Cash will now give the ball to right-hander Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 2.82), who is set to tag-team with Joe Boyle for a third straight appearance. He is still seeing limited action following his third major elbow surgery.
Rasmussen last pitched two innings of one-run ball Sunday in a win over the Minnesota Twins. He threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes.
“I think it does two things,” Rasmussen said. “It lets us get the Joe Boyle experience, which is electric. And then also allows me to just stay on routine as well as limit some of the innings for this year.”
The 29-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, but Friday will mark his first since 2022.