BOSTON -- The focus has shifted around the Red Sox, as manager Alex Cora conceded for the first time prior to Sunday’s 7-3 win over the Orioles at Fenway Park that the team’s chances of making the postseason have essentially slipped away.

This means that Cora will give young players (Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Enmanuel Valdez) more opportunities when he can. 

It also means he will focus on the long-term health of a player like James Paxton, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with right knee inflammation.

Though there won’t be the day-to-day drama of a postseason race, there will be compelling storylines to follow. On Sunday, there were three, involving key members of Boston’s core for 2024 and beyond.

Bello-Gunnar showdown
Brayan Bello’s emergence into Boston’s ace has been one of the club’s top stories this season.

On Sunday, Bello went up against one of the elite lineups in the game, and he stood up to the challenge.

Just like his last start against the Rays, Bello had an early three-run inning. This time, it was the second instead of the first. The other similarity is that it was the only inning he allowed runs.

What was really gratifying for Boston was the way Bello emptied the tank against top American League Rookie of the Year candidate Gunnar Henderson to finish his outing.

Clinging to a 4-3 lead after a double by Adley Rutschman, Bello settled in for a 10-pitch at-bat with Henderson. Henderson popped up Bello’s most improved pitch, his slider, to cap a battle of two likely key figures in the American League East for years to come. It was a successful end to an 88-pitch afternoon for Bello.

“It was a great at-bat for [Henderson],” Bello said. “I think he fouled off really good pitches and then took that pitch, a fastball in, I thought it was strike three. But yeah, overall, it was a great at-bat for both of us, and I was happy that I took the win in that at-bat.”

Casas with another opposite-field rocket
Triston Casas, who is arguably Henderson’s top contender in the Rookie of the Year race, had been quiet the first two games of this series, going 0-for-9.

But when the Red Sox needed a big hit on Sunday, it wasn’t surprising that it was Casas who provided it. The left-handed hitter mashed a 1-0 pitch by O’s lefty Cole Irvin over the Monster in left-center with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to turn a 4-3 game into a commanding 7-3 edge.

Casas ripped it at an exit velocity of 106.2 mph and it traveled a projected distance of 402 feet. It was No. 24 on the season for Casas, and the second time this week he supported Bello with a three-run homer.

Not bad, considering Casas was merely trying to place a ground ball between the third baseman and shortstop.

“I looked at where the infield was positioned before I came up. Two guys were in scoring position, which is always really enticing to try to be aggressive and want to bring them in,” Casas said. “I felt like my best chance at doing that was hitting a ground ball to the five-six hole, just because there was so much space there.

"Just trying to bear down and make contact, because a strikeout in that situation of the game per se really isn’t acceptable, in my opinion.”

Rafaela glides to make a sweet catch
Red Sox fans have heard all about Rafaela’s superb defense in center during his ascension through the farm system.

On Sunday, they saw it first-hand as the team’s No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline made his first career start at his best position. With one out in the third, Anthony Santander hit one to deep center.  Rafaela went back for it and glided against the wall to make a highlight-reel play.

The only person less surprised by the catch than Rafaela was his manager.

“When the ball is in the air, if it’s in the stadium, most likely he’ll get it,” Cora said. “I saw that in Spring Training, saw it back home in winter ball. It’s easy for him to play the outfield and obviously, he hasn't played that much in the outfield [in the Majors] and hasn’t played the outfield in Fenway, but the presence of where he was and the athleticism [was impressive].

"I don't want to say it was epic. I read somebody saying it was epic. It wasn’t epic, but it was a great catch.”