As Red Sox, Chad Tracy settle into ‘their reality now,’ they have a little momentum

When the visitors clubhouse opened Monday, an irritated Contreras approached reporters to clear the air — not by saying he talked things out with Mayer or misspoke, but rather to make it known that the Red Sox were a united group, despite all the chaos. Mayer wholeheartedly agreed, calling it “one of those classic, blown-out-of-proportion Twitter things.” By Tuesday, with that storyline behind them, the Red Sox united, once again, this time against Framber Valdez, who they believed intentionally threw at Trevor Story. Contreras was in the middle of the momentary benches-clearing fracas.

Perhaps the most striking moment of Tuesday came after the game in the manager’s office when Tracy, with just seven big league games (of any kind) under his belt, showed he isn’t someone who easily cowers. By unequivocally stating he believed Valdez threw at Story intentionally — and repeatedly calling the act “weak” in front of a gaggle of cameras and microphones, Tracy showed an early sign that the Red Sox were becoming his team.

The clubhouse after Tuesday’s win was as boisterous as it has been at any point this season, and after a shutout win Wednesday, the Red Sox celebrated again. Vibes really don’t matter. Wins and losses do. But a group that acted funereal over the first month-plus of a calamitous season looked like it was breathing again while winning.

“This is our reality now,” said outfielder Wilyer Abreu, “so we have to get used to it and try to go to the game and try to win the games.

“Like I said early in the year, it was just a matter of time before everybody got back to their rhythm and timing. Soon enough, we’re going to start to win games.”

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The Red Sox caught some breaks over their three days in Motown, with Tarik Skubal scratched from his Monday start ahead of elbow surgery and the Tigers — especially, defensively — not doing themselves many favors on the field. But Boston shined in a few areas, too. They ran well, stealing frequently and taking the extra base whenever it was there. They hit with runners in scoring position, which was a welcome change. They played defense in a way Tracy repeatedly described as “awesome.” And most importantly, for a team built on a run prevention model, they pitched.

Payton Tolle set the tone in the rain Monday with seven very strong innings. The most encouraging performance of the week came a night later when Brayan Bello, as the main act following an opener, dominated with seven frames of his own and showed that he, too, might be able to turn a corner. On Wednesday, it was Sonny Gray — after a 15-day injured list stint due to a hamstring strain — who pitched well, shutting out Detroit for five innings in a 70-pitch start that felt, at times, like a tune-up for bigger things down the road.

“I felt like as the game went on, I was getting more and more comfortable ...,” Gray said. “I feel more comfortable out there on the mound, in a big league game, than I do in a lot of other places.”

Even 700 miles away from Comerica Park, the news was good for the Red Sox. Suarez might pitch as soon as Saturday despite his hamstring scare. And even more importantly, the wrist sprain that caused Roman Anthony to leave Monday’s game is seemingly minor enough that the Red Sox are avoiding putting him on the IL.

“It’s been a good week,” Tracy said. “It was a really good short trip.”

In less than two weeks, Tracy has managed in four more major league stadiums than he had ever played or coached in. He’s still drinking out of a fire hose, in a sense, but also clearly starting to mold the Red Sox in his likeness.

“It really feels normal to me now at this point,” Tracy said. “Nine, 10 games into it, I’m very comfortable with the guys and very comfortable with the routine. I’ve been home, I’ve been on the road, so very normal for me now.”

For Tracy, the familiarity has come with success, too. Since taking over, he’s 6-4 in a small sample size that shouldn’t be ignored considering the circumstances he inherited and a busy travel schedule over the last two weeks.

The challenge continues Thursday for the Red Sox, who will welcome the 24-12 Rays to Fenway for a four-game weekend set with a quick turnaround after an early-morning arrival back in Boston.

“We know there’s a lot more that we want to achieve and the expectations are super high, obviously,” Durbin said.

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