This time, the Red Sox skipped the drama.
They cruised Friday night to a 13-1 win over the Athletics, their ninth in a row, an all-around thrashing that featured perhaps the best game of Payton Tolle’s life and a top-to-bottom offensive onslaught.
Altogether, it made for a much easier endeavor than their 13-inning survival against the White Sox on Thursday, even if each contest counted the same in the standings — which increasingly favor the Red Sox.
The Sox (64-51) have won 11 of their past 12 games, 27 of 30, and 32 of 37.
“At the beginning of the year, I was waiting for this moment and just trying to tell everybody to be patient,” said Ceddanne Rafaela, who had two hits, two runs, and another highlight-reel catch. “And then here we are.”
Tolle starred. He struck out a career-high 14 batters and walked none across six innings, allowing just one run and two hits — all on just 84 pitches.
Tempted to leave him in, interim manager Chad Tracy decided not to, since the game was well in hand. No sense in pushing him amid overall workload considerations.
Tolle had done his part — in dominant fashion. He struck out the side in the second, fourth, and sixth innings.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Tracy said. “He was electric.”
Jarren Duran said: “I catch myself being lazy in left field, just watching him do his thing. It was awesome to see.”
And Jake Rogers, newly acquired catcher making his first Red Sox start: “I love [Tolle’s] mentality. He goes up there and throws his stuff over the plate. I’ve seen him from afar, and just to be behind the plate and to see some electric factory, it was pretty fun.”
With the Tigers, Rogers caught every start Tarik Skubal made in 2024, his first Cy Young Award season.
This reminded him of that.
“That’s how it felt tonight,” he said. “It was like I could call anything, and they were gonna have weak contact or swing and miss. It felt like [Tolle] had it tonight.”
A few of Tolle’s feats:
⋅ He had the most strikeouts by a Red Sox pitcher since Chris Sale had 17 on May 14, 2019 (against the Rockies).
⋅ He had the most strikeouts by a Red Sox pitcher aged 23 or younger since Roger Clemens had 20 on April 29, 1986 (against the Mariners).
⋅ He averaged 97.6 miles per hour with his fastball, the best single-start mark of his career (edging the 97.1 from his season debut against the Yankees).
“Slept good last night,” Tolle cracked, regarding the improved velocity. “But … we’re learning. We’re getting conditioned to go deeper. I think each time [I] go out, I feel like I have more velo left in the tank than the last, being able to get to the fifth with 98 or whatever it is. Just felt good. And warm days help.”
The Athletics (45-71) didn’t manage to even put a runner on base until the fifth inning. Tyler Soderstrom homered to right field, wiping out the perfect game, no-hitter, and shutout in one swing.
Jonathan Ornelas nearly had a hit in the third inning, but Rafaela somehow caught the low line drive to right-center field.
“The ball was hit so low that I was like, OK, it’s line-drive single,” Tracy said. “And sure enough, he caught it. I don’t know why I doubt him at this point.”
Tolle said: “I jumped up and [was] hooting and hollering, so that was a big play to continue the momentum.”
Lefthander Raymond Burgos, called up Friday from Triple-A Worcester, tossed the final three innings to record a save in his second major league game.
The Red Sox’ hitters put together a remarkably balanced attack. Six had exactly two hits; none had three or more. Four drove in multiple runs; only Wilyer Abreu had as many as three.
They spanked Athletics righthander Jack Perkins for five runs in three innings — a major reversal of their meeting last week, when he held them to two runs in 5⅔ innings.
All of that damage came in the second frame. Duran opened the scoring with a two-run home run, his third long ball in five games — and his first over the Green Monster since June 2024.
“I’d like to say that the game is that easy, where I can guide the ball that way,” Duran said. “These guys are throwing too hard and too many good pitches to be able to force it that way. But when I’m in a good spot and the balls are out there, the ball goes that way.”
Rogers doubled twice, matching his total from four months with Detroit. Abreu’s two-run double in the second went off the tiny wall in right field. Masataka Yoshida had two runs and two RBIs.
It was the first time the Sox scored at least a dozen runs in consecutive games since May 2016.
“It takes a lot of pressure off,” Tolle said, “whenever you score that many runs.”
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.