The Boston Red Sox trailed in all four games against the Athletics this week in Sacramento. They went a combined 7 for 29 with runners in scoring position across the series. They left 13 men on base on Wednesday and another five on Thursday.
None of it mattered. The Red Sox won three of four, all in comeback fashion, and clinched the series with a 5-4 victory on Thursday night. Sonny Gray ground through seven innings on a night when his command came and went, giving Boston the depth it needed with the bullpen running thin after Wednesday’s extra-inning win.
The game turned in the eighth inning, and when it did, two players made sure everybody understood what this team is about.
Contreras Delivers the Defining Moment
Wilyer Abreu stepped to the plate in the eighth with the Red Sox trailing by a run. He connected with a changeup from A’s reliever Luis Medina and sent it 422 feet to center field to tie the game.
The dugout had barely finished celebrating when Willson Contreras stepped in. He crushed a 414-foot shot to left-center off the same pitcher on the very next pitch. Contreras knew it immediately. He took his time rounding first, locked eyes with his teammates in the dugout, and pointed to the word “Boston” across his chest.
“We’re Boston,” Contreras said. “We’re the Boston Red Sox.”
Back-to-back homers. Back-to-back pitches.
“That was the first thing that came to my mind,” said Contreras. “We are able to win. We are able to beat anybody, and we keep believing in each other. We’re gonna be good.”
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 30: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox hits a solo home run against the Athletics in the top of the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Numbers Tell the Story
Boston sits at 57-51. The run they are on is not just good. It is historic. They have not lost back-to-back games since June 30.
Contreras sees what is building. He referenced the 15-game run that came up one win short of the all-time franchise mark and made it clear the team is not looking backward.
“We lost that streak, but it feels like we’re about to get in another one,” Contreras said. “This is a really good group, a special group, relentless, resilient, and it’s about keeping that energy from now on.”
GettySACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 30: Willson Contreras #40 and Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates Contreras’s solo home run against the Athletics in the top of the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on July 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
Contreras pointing to his jersey was not just a celebration. It was a declaration. This team believes in itself in a way it did not two months ago. The results are backing it up.
The Red Sox head to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on Friday. The competition is about to get significantly harder. But if Sacramento proved anything, it is that this team does not care about pretty. It cares about winning.
That is the identity Contreras was talking about. Right now, nobody is arguing with him.
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