Trevor Story is fully healthy and driving a postseason push for Boston, thanks to a dominant on-base and speed revival. His 21 straight stolen bases to start the season set a Red Sox Expansion Era mark, signaling a return of the speed element many hoped would anchor Boston’s offense. Across the last fortnight, Story has surged to a .319 clip with an .810 OPS, adding three extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in 12 games, including Friday’s walk-off winner that plated Roman Anthony and underscored Boston’s late-season momentum.

The resurgence comes as Boston clings to the American League’s second wild-card spot with a 67–56 record, and health remains the most pressing storyline for Story after years of injuries. His athleticism and marketable speed could unlock more aggressive baserunning and run-producing opportunities for the lineup, a boon for fantasy managers eyeing stolen-base upside and RBI potential as the Sox navigate a tight October race.

Marlins and Red Sox square off at Fenway in a Friday set that features Sandy Alcantara on the mound for Miami against Lucas Giolito for Boston. Alcantara has to prove he can rebound after rough recent road work, while Giolito looks to keep his command tight after a less-stellar August start. Miami arrives chasing a win behind Alcantara, who has shown flashes even as his season numbers wobble, and Boston returns home after a Houston road trip in which they scored in bunches but still dropped two of three. Edward Cabrera’s recent rough night against Cleveland adds a reminder that Miami’s rotation has upsides and risks in equal measure.

Odds point to a tight, high-leverage matchup with a 9.0-run total. Miami is a slight underdog on the moneyline and a comfortable target at +1.5 on the spread, per NBC betting analytics, while the Red Sox look to capitalize on their Fenway win equity. The matchup page highlights several betting trends: Miami has won three straight at Boston, while Boston has gone over the total in its last three against Miami. The model’s projections pair with these trends to frame a night where a few value and risk-reward picks stand out for fantasy and bets.

Fantasy angles lean toward Alcantara’s ability to strand traffic and limit the long ball, while Giolito’s control underscored by recent lines could invite Miami to ride a lean, disciplined approach. Story and Wilyer Abreu represent Boston’s upside in DFS if they find favorable counts, and Cabrera’s a wild-card candidate who could snap back with cleaner mechanics. In a game that could tilt on a couple at-bats, target offensive pieces that excel in neutral counts and be ready to pivot if Boston’s lineup heat arrives early.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado attempted a hidden-ball trick on Jarren Duran with Duran on third and one out in the third, but being on the rubber rendered the move illegal and a balk scored Duran. The sequence shifted the early frame and helped Boston push its lead to 3-1 after Masataka Yoshida’s grounder brought Trevor Story home. San Diego answered, taking a 4-3 lead by the fifth, only to be forced to extra innings by Ramón Laureano’s RBI knock that scored Bogaerts from second. Laureano then delivered the decisive run in the 10th, giving San Diego a 5-4 victory. The play spotlighted Manny Machado’s high baseball IQ, even as spring training quirks underscore how fine the margins are on baserunning and deception.