Friday, July 11 | Follow Globe Sports

BATTING LEADOFF

Is this it? Are the Red Sox finally ready to take flight, or is their seven-game winning streak merely fool’s gold, gifted by tanking Nationals, Rockies, and Kevin Cash removing his dominant starter (Taj Bradley) after only 88 pitches Thursday night?

I know this much. The Red Sox haven’t lost since a bunch of players visited with President Trump in the Oval Office last Thursday. The Sox go into the weekend with nine wins in 10 games and are a season-high five games over .500. They are 21-11 since June 3.

So. Much. Winning.

Read Dan Shaughnessy's full column at Globe.com/Sports

TO THE LINKS

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The win streak reached seven games with a 4-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night, a three-run seventh inning igniting what had been a sleepy crowd at Fenway Park. Peter Abraham has the game story.

Here is the box score.

POSITIVE STEP: In his final start before the All-Star break, Walker Buehler went six innings and yielded five hits, three runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. Matty Wasserman writes that it was an encouraging performance as Buehler looks to rediscover himself following a rocky first half of the season.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: We’ve spent so much time parsing the various ways chief baseball officer Craig Breslow bungled the Rafael Devers situation that it’s led to overlooking a bunch of things he got right. Chad Finn believes Breslow has had a mostly excellent season.

DRAFTING A PLAN: The Red Sox have 21 picks in Major League Baseball's annual draft, which begins Sunday. Alex Speier looks at what traits the Sox typically look for.

ROTATIONAL FORCE: The Red Sox have played 95 games this season and only once have they resorted to a bullpen game in lieu of using a conventional starting pitcher. Peter Abraham writes that it speaks to the difference Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts have made.

HEALTHY RETURN: It’s not yet official, but the Red Sox are set to activate Alex Bregman from the injured list on Friday. Peter Abraham has more on the expected move.

ABOUT TONIGHT: The Red Sox will go for their eighth straight win when their series with Tampa Bay resumes Friday. Hunter Dobbins will be on the mound for the Sox. Here is a preview.

RIP LEE ELIA: The former major league player and coach who was managing the Chicago Cubs in 1983 when he famously criticized the team’s fans in a memorable postgame rant has died. He was 87.

See more of our Red Sox coverage here.

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