BOSTON -- Corey Kluber doesn’t think the Rays have played their best baseball yet. And neither does the rest of the team, according to the starting pitcher. They’ve been plagued by injuries up and down their lineup, rotation and bullpen, and are competing in an increasingly difficult division.

Halfway through the 162-game slate, Tampa Bay (44-37) sits a half-game ahead of the Blue Jays (44-38) for third and trails the first-place Yankees (58-23) and second-place Red Sox (45-36) in the American League East after an 8-4 win over Boston on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. A convincing way to reach the halfway checkpoint, but not necessarily where the club thought it would be in the first week of July.

Coming off their first 100-win season, the Rays entered 2022 with a number of talented young arms and a similar lineup to the one that helped them to the AL Division Series in ‘21.

They’ve had an inconsistent start, but the Rays are confident that change is coming. And Tuesday’s win coupled with their series victory in Toronto over the weekend are good indicators that change might already be here.

“We're taking those baby steps to getting back locked in,” center fielder Kevin Kiermaier said. “We're starting to get our Juju back, our swag back, whatever you want to call it. We're showing up and I feel like our confidence is rising slowly but surely.”

After 81 games, let’s look at what’s gone right and wrong.

At the plate
The most noticeable difference in Tampa Bay’s offense this season is the lack of power. After 81 games in 2021, the Rays had hit 99 home runs. This year? They’re at 76.

It doesn’t help when you look at the lengthy list of names on the injured list. Tampa Bay is feeling the loss of Brandon Lowe (lower back discomfort), Mike Zunino (left shoulder inflammation) and Manuel Margot (right knee strain). Their absences have made way for a number of younger guys to get their opportunities to step up, including Isaac Paredes, who is the team leader in home runs with 13.

The Rays have shown they’re capable of getting the job done even without some of their 2021 sluggers, scoring their eight runs on Tuesday on a double, a groundout, a sacrifice fly and three singles.

“I think we're a good team,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I think we've done well kind of keeping our head above water with some of the losses that we've had. Certainly room for improvement. [I] like that there’s a group of young guys that are getting some pretty valuable experience right now and hope that we're better for it in the second half.”

In the field and on the bases
Though the offense showed up with eight runs on 11 hits, the team is still battling their defensive and baserunning issues that have plagued them for much of the season.

In Monday’s series opener, Yandy Díaz made a costly baserunning decision to end the fifth inning after attempting to stretch a single into a double. On Tuesday, Wander Franco accounted for the second out in the top of the third after a bad read on Paredes’ popup. Four innings later with an 8-1 lead and one out, Randy Arozarena was caught stealing second by Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez.

On the mound
Back to the injuries, the Rays have nine pitchers on the 60-day IL. They’re without Andrew Kittredge (Tommy John) until 2023, and Tyler Glasnow is likely in the same boat as he recovers from TJ and right ankle surgery. Right-handers Luis Patiño (left oblique strain) and J.P. Feyereisen (right shoulder impingement) are likely to be the first in line to return.

Rays starters, led by ace and All-Star hopeful Shane McClanahan, have stepped up to a 3.29 ERA -- good for fourth best in the Majors. On the flip side, Tampa Bay’s staff is tied for allowing the fifth-most homers (94), including two charged to starter Jeffrey Springs in Tuesday’s win.

As Tampa Bay maneuvers through a difficult division and awaits the return of key players from the injured list, the club is focused on moving forward and not making any excuses.

“We got a lot of season left. Great things can happen,” Kiermaier said. “This team has proved that time and time again. I got all the confidence in the world in these guys. And if we really get our confidence back and keep getting better and better, then watch out. We're capable of doing dangerous things. But it's up to us to back up what I'm saying and I hope we're working towards that direction.”