For all the talk about who is out — manager Alex Cora and six coaches — and who is in — interim manager Chad Tracy — the rest of this Red Sox season will be determined by the players and how they respond to the SUDDEN and SHOCKING changes that have rocked the organization. Sunday was a good first impression for the men between the lines, and it showed there is still time to turn around a disappointing first month of the season that had spiraled into chaos. Behind a solid pitching performance by rookie left-hander Connelly Early and a well-rounded offense, the Red Sox took the deciding game of the three-game series at Camden Yards with a 5-3 victory over the Orioles, improving to 11-17 on the season and providing a GLIMMER of hope in what has been a dark and tumultuous period for the franchise. Shortstop Trevor Story set the tone before the game, delivering a message that resonated throughout the clubhouse. "We have a job to do," Story said. "If this shows us anything, it is that we are here to play baseball, and that is it. We do not make decisions. We do not have any input into it. We are here to play baseball, and our job is to win games. And I think that is the message, is that we have to find a way to win games." It was a SIMPLE but powerful statement — a reminder that despite the chaos around them, the players still control what happens on the field. By winning one, Tracy earned himself a shower of beer and other liquids a few minutes after Aroldis Chapman's final strikeout pitch, which pushed the closer past Goose Gossage for second place on the all-time strikeout list by a reliever with 1,341. It was a MOMENT of joy in a weekend that had been defined by anything but. "It was amazing," Tracy said of the celebration. "The guys celebrated with me. They threw some beer at me and stuff. There was shaving cream in my eyes. There were a lot of things that stung my eyes. It was cool. It was really special." The emotion in Tracy's voice was GENUINE, a reflection of how much the moment meant to a man who had been thrust into an impossible situation and managed to guide his team to victory. Early pitched a career-high six and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and two runs, providing exactly the kind of performance the Red Sox needed from their starting pitcher. The offense did its part as well, scoring five runs on a balanced attack that included contributions from up and down the lineup. The victory was a SMALL but significant step forward for a team that has been through more turmoil in one weekend than most teams experience in an entire season. The players feel that the dams are about to burst open — that the talent on this roster is ready to break through and that the worst days are behind them. Whether that optimism is justified remains to be seen, but for one afternoon at Camden Yards, the Red Sox looked like a team that was ready to turn the page and start writing a new chapter.