When Trevor Story first joined the Red Sox in 2022, it took him several weeks to nail his timing after working at the bats for barely a week in spring training.
This year, Story appears to have only taken a few days, fresh from an extended rehab stint after a long recovery from elbow surgery.
After starting the year 0-for-9, Story heated up and on Sunday he delivered his best performance of the season, winning 4-4 with three doubles, two stolen bases and two runs made. In any case, he was substituted on by Adam Duvall, who went 2-4 with four RBIs, including a stunning three-run home run that effectively capped Boston's 6-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Story started with a ground rule double to right field, and the next time he landed in third field, he threw a single and instantly stole both second and third place. Though initially ruled out, the decision was overturned in the replay and Story trotted home moments later after Duvall's RBI single made it 3-1.
Story and the Red Sox caught a break in the fifth set when Akil Baddoo lost Story's massive flyball in the sun and couldn't catch it, and after the Tigers failed to set up Masataka Yoshida's subsequent grounder cleanly down the middle, Duvall delivered the dagger with one Three-run shot against former Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who was marked for six runs over five innings with 10 hits, a walk and eight strikeouts.
The shortstop also played a role in what was arguably the Red Sox's best defensive game of the season.
In the top of the eighth pitch, Tigers outfielder Riley Greene smacked a flyball to the left that landed under the glove of jumping Masataka Yoshida. As Yoshida held the ball, Greene charged for third, and after Story received the relay, he threw a dart at third baseman Luis Urias, who threw his arm back to tag Greene just before he got the ball reached.
The game ultimately salvaged at least one run after the Tigers followed with a single and a ground rule double, but Story completed a routine grounder in the third out to interrupt Detroit's rallies and leave the Tigers empty-handed.
Earlier in the second half, the Tigers had initially taken the lead from a runs-scoring grounder by Miguel Cabrera, but the Red Sox leveled it with an RBI triple from Connor Wong down the field. Justin Turner then put Boston ahead in the third run just ahead of Story's single and stole his second home run in two days with a solo home run.
While the Tigers clawed back a few runs in the fifth through a solo shot from Baddoo and Matt Vierling equalized in the sixth through two penalties from Pablo Reyes and scored through a Spencer Torkelson groundout, Detroit never led again.
Though his outing ended in the loss with a fifth-round home run from Baddoo, starting pitcher Kutter Crawford broadly got the job done, enabling two runs with three hits and a walk for 4.2 innings of work. Brennan Bernardino made the final out in the fifth set before passing the ball to Garrett Whitlock, who just gave up an unearned run over two otherwise perfect innings in his first game since July 2.
Chris Martin then struggled through a tumultuous game to record a goalless eighth place finish and Kenley Jansen completed the goal in ninth place for his 27th save of the season.
During the ninth game, Cabrera also received several standing ovations from the crowd, first when he stepped on the plate for his final batting game at Fenway Park and then after the future Hall of Famer returned to the dugout after his flyout at center.
While the Red Sox ended their 10-game home game 5-5, after beating Toronto last weekend they were able to finish well with series victories over Kansas City and Detroit. The Red Sox now have Monday off before embarking on a 10-game road trip that begins Tuesday with a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.
