For one magical night at Fenway Park, the Red Sox rediscovered the art of the long ball—and it made all the difference.

Through their first 20 home games of the season, Boston had managed just nine home runs, the lowest total in all of Major League Baseball. For a franchise that has long relied on the friendly confines of Fenway's inviting left-field wall, this power outage was puzzling. But on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, the bats finally woke up.

After weeks of scratching and clawing for runs, the Red Sox needed just two swings to secure a 3-1 victory. Trevor Story kickstarted the power surge with a solo shot in the second inning. Then, with the game tied 1-1 in the sixth, pinch-hitter Ceddanne Rafaela delivered a two-run blast that proved to be the game-winner.

"We've talked a lot about homers in here," said interim manager Chad Tracy. "Tonight, we got the long ball. Instant runs. It's still just three, and obviously we want more. But two big swings in big spots."

The home run remains baseball's most efficient scoring weapon—far easier than stringing together four or five consecutive hits. For a Red Sox team that has struggled to sustain rallies, the power display was a welcome reminder of what they're capable of.

The lack of thump shouldn't have come as a total surprise. Last June, Boston traded away their best power hitter, Rafael Devers, and failed to re-sign Alex Bregman in free agency. Willson Contreras has helped fill the void with a team-leading eight homers, but the lineup has lacked the consistent power that Fenway Park demands.

For one night, at least, the Red Sox turned the power back on—and it was exactly what they needed.