- The Red Sox finished the first half with the best record in MLB at 68-30 (.694). That is the fifth-highest winning percentage before the All-Star break in AL history, and the highest since the 2001 Mariners.
- At 41-57 (.418), this is the worst winning percentage at the break by the Tigers since their 2003 season, where they finished with a 43-119 record. Their team slash line is .245/.303/.386, which are all the team's lowest at the break since 2003.
- In 10 games with the Red Sox, Steve Pearce is hitting .423 with a 1.192 OPS. That is the highest batting average in a player's first 10 games with the Red Sox since Ryan Sweeney in 2012 (.424, minimum 30 PA).
- Mookie Betts has a 1.139 OPS so far this season, leading all qualified players. The last qualified Red Sox player to post as high of an OPS in the first half was Ted Williams in 1950 (1.157).
- Nicholas Castellanos is hitting .372 with runners on base this season. That is the highest by any AL player (minimum 100 plate appearances). He is hitting .375 with runners in scoring position in the first six innings but .167 in the seventh inning and after.
- The Red Sox's 1-4 hitters are hitting a combined .305 this season, the highest in MLB. Those hitters have homered 87 times this season, the second most in MLB (Yankees, 89).
The Detroit Tigers cannot escape reminders of what they used to be.
They faced their former ace, Justin Verlander, in the last game before the All-Star break on Sunday. Upon returning from a four-day hiatus, they run into one of the league's premier sluggers, another player they traded away last season to enter a rebuilding phase.
J.D. Martinez and American League East-leading Boston (68-30) begin a weekend series in Detroit on Friday night.
Detroit blindsided Verlander in Houston, hitting four homers against him in a 6-3 victory. That snapped a six-game losing streak and gave the Tigers (41-57) a little boost heading into their mini-vacation.
"It still doesn't take away from how good that guy is," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We all know he's a great pitcher and we were fortunate to be able to bang him around a little bit."
The Tigers are also fully aware how good Martinez is. He revived his career in Motown, blasting 99 homers in 3 1/2 seasons before he was dealt to Arizona for prospects during his walk year.
Martinez remained on the free-agent market longer than expected before he finally reached an agreement with the Red Sox. He has been even better than advertised and has a shot at the Triple Crown. He's tied for the major-league lead in homers (29) and leads the pack in RBIs (80). He's also third in batting average (.328).
Martinez enjoyed his time in Detroit, but is thrilled to be with a contender
"It's awesome. It's a blessing," he said at an All-Star press conference. "It's a dream to be in this uniform. It was my childhood dream. They were my favorite team."
Red Sox fans are rejoicing over their team's success. Boston holds a 4 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees and plays its next 10 games against opponents with losing records.
"We have a lot of young guys that every day, they continue to get better and continue to develop," Martinez said. "It's exciting. The fact we've been playing so well has been fun."
Another former Tigers player, left-hander David Price (10-6, 4.42 ERA), is scheduled to pitch on Friday. Price has struggled in his last three outings, giving up 15 earned runs and eight homers. He is 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in eight career appearances against the Tigers.
He'll be opposed by another left-hander, Matthew Boyd (4-8, 4.76 ERA). He's winless in his last six starts while being charged with the loss in four of those outings.
His last victory came June 7 in Boston, when he held the Red Sox to two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Overall, he's 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA in three career starts against Boston.
The Red Sox won the first two games of the season series by a combined score of 13-1 before Boyd's strong performance salvaged the finale for Detroit.
Martinez had three hits, including a homer, in 10 official at-bats during those three games.
Martinez has scored at least one run in 17 of the last 21 games that he has played. He had a 10-game hitting streak snapped against Toronto during the last game before the break.