The Boston Red Sox continued their winning ways Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays in thrilling fashion.
Wilyer Abreu's go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning lifted Boston to a 7-6 victory and its 12th consecutive win. The home run was Abreu's second of the day and helped the Red Sox (49-48) move back over .500 for the first time since Opening Day.
Abreu has been a major factor in Boston's resurgent offense, which is averaging 5.83 runs per game during its 12-game winning streak. Over that span, the 27-year-old right fielder is slashing .267/.382/.689 with five home runs and 10 RBI.
Four of those home runs have come in the last two games against Tampa Bay. On Saturday, Abreu recorded his second straight multi-homer game, becoming the first Red Sox player with consecutive multi-homer games since Mookie Betts in 2016.
While Abreu is often praised for his defensive prowess, evident by his +5 Outs Above Average (92nd percentile) and 95.7 Arm Strength (98th percentile) this season, his offense has remained steady.
Across 95 games in 2026, Abreu is slashing .266/.338/.462 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI. He also showed impressive power last season, clubbing 22 home runs in 373 at-bats. However, Abreu was limited to 115 games because of a left oblique strain and later a right calf strain.
Nonetheless, Abreu's offense has been vital during Boston's 12-game winning streak. The Red Sox's 20 home runs since July 3 rank fourth in MLB. Although Boston still has the third-fewest home runs in baseball this season with 93, its power surge during the winning streak is an encouraging sign.
Abreu's 15 home runs this season rank second among Red Sox hitters, trailing only first basemanWillson Contreras (21). Contreras and Abreu, along with Jarren Duran (13), are the only Boston hitters with double-digit home runs.
Injuries to Roman Anthony and Trevor Story have played a notable role in the Red Sox's power struggles this season. Anthony has appeared in just 30 games and has not played since May 4 because of a torn ligament and partially torn tendon in his right ring finger and wrist. Meanwhile, Story has been limited to 41 games after undergoing sports hernia surgery and has not played since May 14.
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Boston will continue to rely on Abreu's power as they seek to maintain their offensive momentum.
Now alone in the third and final American League Wild Card spot, the Red Sox will look to extend their winning streak to 13 games and sweep the Rays on Sunday at 1:35 pm ET.
