The Boston Red Sox have begun to turn their season around. With 84 games played and 78 to go they find themselves just six games behind the division-leading New York Yankees.

Boston has won its last three series (over Tampa Bay, Toronto and Houston) and are tops in the American League East over the last 10 games with a 7-3 record. After a day off on Monday, Boston (39-45) hosts Miami (35-48) today and Wednesday before New York (44-38) comes to town for a three-game series this weekend. The All-Star break will provide Boston with a four-day rest before they head to California for four games with the red-hot Angels.

Part of Boston’s recent success can be attributed to former Portland Sea Dogs

Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, who currently are first and third in the Red Sox batting order. Betts and Bogaerts have started to hearken memories of alliterative duos from the past such as Mantle and Maris and Mays and McCovey. If you want to count first names, newly minted All-Star Brock Holt completes the upper third of the batting order, perhaps to be known as the “Three B’s.”

Betts, who started the 2014 season in Portland and has played only 133 games in his major career, captured American League Player of the Week honors for the period ending June 22. The 22-year-old outfielder leads the team in games played (81), hits (91), doubles (21) and stolen bases (13). He is the team co-leader with five triples and is second to Hanley Ramirez with 43 runs scored. His batting average has steadily risen during the season to its present mark of .283. His RBI production had been strong all season and he trails only Hanley Ramirez (and is tied with David Ortiz) in that category, 43 to 41.

Bogaerts, who is next on the RBI leader list with 37, played 56 games for the Sea Dogs in 2013. He is much improved over his rookie season and ranks second on the Red Sox in batting (.302), hits (89), doubles (18) and games played (80). Bogaerts, age 22, appears on the MLB All-Star Game American League Final Vote ballot.

Holt, obtained from the Pittsburgh Pirates in December 2012, bats second and is third on the team with a .295 average. The 27-year-old Holt, who has played at every defensive position except for pitcher and catcher this season, leads the team in on base percentage.

With the “Three B’s” leading the way, Red Sox fans seem to have something to root for in the second half of this season and far into the future.

— Freelance writer K.Z. Levinsky can be contacted at sports@journaltribune.com.