Sonny Gray pitched six innings of one-run ball and Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 win and a four-game series sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Sox, who are now on a 13-game win streak, broke open the game with a three-run third inning before Contreras ripped his second homer in three games to round out the scoring in the fifth.

Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Red Sox.

Gray (12-1) scattered one run on five hits — including a solo, inside-the-park home run by Victor Mesa Jr. — en route to his ninth straight quality start. The veteran right-hander has now allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive outings.

Gray threw just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes, but the Rays went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the day. Chandler Simpson (2-for-4) was the lone Tampa Bay batter with multiple hits.

The Red Sox responded to Mesa’s inside-the-park job into the right-center-field triangle in the second by tying the game in the bottom half. After Caleb Durbin hit a leadoff single to left, stole second and took third on a throwing error, Andruw Monasterio doubled into the left field corner to make it a 1-1 game.

A three-run third off Tampa Bay starter Shane McClanahan (8-6) put the hosts in firm control. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out, and a passed ball brought Jahmai Jones home with the go-ahead run. Durbin and Romy Gonzalez followed with an RBI fielder’s choice and groundout, respectively.

The big inning proved to be more than enough offense for Gray, who stranded two runners on base in each of the first three frames before dealing a 1-2-3 fourth and inducing an inning-ending double play in the sixth to conclude his outing.

The Red Sox added to their lead in the fifth, as Rafaela knocked a leadoff single up the middle before scoring on Contreras’ two-run homer to deep right-center field.

McClanahan left after five innings, having surrendered all six runs (four earned) on five hits. He walked three and fanned three.

Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson all pitched scoreless innings to seal the win for Gray.

–Field Level Media

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — After watching his 10-man side come up just short of becoming the first back-to-back World Cup winners since 1958-62, a tearful Lionel Scaloni admitted he’s unsure what lies ahead.

The 48-year-old was appointed manager after Argentina crashed out of the 2018 World Cup in the round of 16 amid skepticism about his lack of head coaching experience and only brief time as an assistant.

If he does move on after his contract expires in December, he will leave the post as the most decorated manager in program history. Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup final followed a run to the title in the 2022 tournament, and he also guided Argentina to the Copa America crown in 2021 and 2024.

“I will talk to the president” of the federation, Scaloni said through an interpreter. “I have an idea of what I would like to do. I will see out my contract, and I feel the need to think, as I don’t know if something as big can be done (again) and maybe we need to speak this through.

“I am thankful to the president for bringing me this chance of being in this place where I am at. At the moment, it was a dream place for everyone. And we’ve tried up until the very last minute to give our utmost, the staff, the players. And I believe it’s only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through.”

Scaloni is only the second Argentine manager to reach consecutive World Cup finals and only the fifth of any nationality. Carlos Bilardo guided the Albiceleste to the 1986 title and the 1990 final, but did not match Scaloni’s Copa America feats.

Should Scaloni continue, it would likely be with a group that looks considerably different than the one he has managed for nearly a decade.

Lionel Messi is 39 years old, and while he still had an exceptional tournament with eight goals and four assists, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s participation in 2030 feels extremely unlikely.

In total, eight Argentina players started both the 2022 and 2026 finals, and it’s almost certain there will be considerable turnover beyond just their most famous star.

“I would have never imagined, we would have never imagined, including my staff, that we would be in this place,” Scaloni said through tears. “So in order to continue, you need a great deal of things, especially resetting your mind, rebooting. Creating a group like this again, that is very difficult, that you can create again. And it’s really painful. I am very sorry.”

At that point, Scaloni exited to his right to end his press conference to thunderous applause from assembled press.

Earlier in his remarks, Scaloni said he could have no complaints with the result of the final, which Spain dominated in possession and shots but won by the slim margin of Ferran Torres’ 106th-minute winner.

“We feel extremely grateful to all our fans, all those people who transmitted us that energy that we were lacking,” Scaloni said. “We managed to go all the way to the end when the match was so open, and it just couldn’t be in the end. They deserved the victory. That’s reality. We need to accept it. But we were close, to be honest. I would like to thank my players (and) everyone who’s helped us greatly to reach another World Cup final.”

A product of Newell’s Old Boys, the same team Messi played for in his childhood, Scaloni played for two decades across Argentina, Spain, Italy and briefly England.

But the right-sided midfielder and defender made only seven appearances for the senior national team. His best moment for the Albiceleste came when he started and played all of their 2-1 victory over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 in 2006.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media

The Washington Nationals placed left-hander PJ Poulin on the 15-day injured list on Sunday because of a left flexor strain.

The move was retroactive to Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Nationals signed free agent lefty Matt Krook. Washington transferred lefty Richard Lovelady (left triceps strain) from the 15- to 60-day IL to make room for Krook on the 40-man roster.

Poulin, who turns 30 on July 25, last pitched on July 11, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in 1 2/3 scoreless innings as the opener in a 4-2 home loss to the New York Yankees.

Poulin is 3-0 with three saves, a 2.70 ERA, 21 walks and 25 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings over 35 games (11 starts) this season. Since making his major league debut last season, Poulin is 5-1 with four saves, a 3.08 ERA, 34 walks and 52 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings over 63 games (11 starts).

The Nationals selected Krook, 31, off waivers from the Athletics on July 4 and designated him for assignment on July 12. He was granted free agency last Tuesday.

Krook was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, two walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings across three relief appearances for the Nationals. He was 0-0 with a 14.73 ERA in 3 2/3 innings for the Athletics earlier this season.

For his career, Krook is 0-1 with a 14.11 ERA, 14 walks and 15 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings over 16 games with four teams since 2023.

–Field Level Media