Trevor Story homered and the Boston Red Sox beat Washington 6-4 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep, with the Nationals firing manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo hours after the game.

If the Boston Red Sox start the second-half of the season successfully, it decide the rest of the year. Here's why this stretch matters for Boston.

Jordan Hicks allowed a run in the ninth but earned the save as the Red Sox took care of business in the first of two series against terrible teams. Up next is a three-game home set against the Rockies.

The Washington Nationals selected Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits on Sunday night with the No. 1 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in a selection seen by some as a surprise. The 17-year-old Willits is the youngest player ever taken No.

The Boston Red Sox head into the All-Star break having catapulted themselves into the American League East race as a result of their current 10-game winning streak. Manager Alex Cora hopes the midseason break won't cool off his team when it returns to action Friday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The surging Sox have won six straight games, matching their longest winning streak of the season. During that stretch, they outscored opponents, 56-16, reached double-digit runs four times, and only trailed for half an inning across the 54 frames.

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The Washington Nationals made two big changes hours after they were swept by the Boston Red Sox. General manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez were fired on Sunday, the Nationals announced.

The Red Sox scored seven runs in an inning for the second straight game, blowing out the Nationals to clinch the weekend series.