Red Sox clinch 27 victories in 30 games as rookie Tolle dazzles

Boston’s 13-1 victory over the Athletics lifted the team to a 64-51 record, matching the Yankees for second in the AL East and securing the top wild-card position. The club has transformed from a 37-48 slump to winning 27 of its last 30 games, a rarity achieved only by a handful of teams since integration. Payton Tolle, a 24-year-old rookie, delivered a historic performance with 14 strikeouts in six innings, the youngest pitcher to do so since José Fernández and the first since Roger Clemens’ 20-strikeout game in 1986.

Six Red Sox players logged multiple hits, and Jarren Duran contributed the game’s only homer. The team rides a nine-game winning streak, following a record 15-game run last month. With two more home games against Oakland and a four-game road series in Toronto, Boston aims to keep its momentum.