Jarren Duran, right, and Wilyer Abreu celebrate during a game earlier this season. Duran, an All-Star for the first time this season, has helped Boston surge into the All-Star break in playoff position. Steven Senne/Associated Press

Major league players don’t get much peace and quiet during a six-month season, with only the All-Star break providing a mini-vacation for those not participating in it.

Red Sox players and staff scattered in numerous directions after Sunday’s 5-4 win over the Royals. The Red Sox don’t play again until opening a three-game series Friday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Manager Alex Cora planned to visit California for a few days of rest before the unofficial second half of the season begins. It’s the calm before what the Sox hope will be a late-season storm into the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

The Sox rolled into the break by taking 2 of 3 from the resurgent Royals before a raucous crowd at Fenway Park. The Royals came into Fenway trailing the Sox by a game in the wild-card standings. With the series win, the Sox pushed that lead to two games and are a season-high 11 games above .500.

The surprising young club has earned the respect of the baseball world, as well as the support of a front office that sounds like it is ready to add talent before the trade deadline.

“I think this team has put themselves in a position where we have to take them seriously,” said Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, on NESN during Sunday’s game.

The Red Sox struggled early in the season against quality opponents but reversed that trend. Boston is 9-6 against teams with winning records since June 11.

The Sox are a good team, just 4 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East, but holes remain on the roster.

They need pitching. Cooper Criswell was recalled from Triple-A Worcester for the opener of the Royals series, and while technically turning in a quality start with two earned runs in six innings, he had traffic on the bases all night. The first three batters had base hits and the Royals were comfortable at the plate against him.

Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer for the Red Sox, acknowledged that the team has played well enough for the front office to look into making improvements at the trade deadline. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Pitching won’t come cheap. Every team in the playoff hunt is in the market for arms. Of course the Sox have a bevy of prospects that could be moved before the July 30 trade deadline.

Breslow should also be looking for a right-handed power bat. The Sox are 12-15 against left-handed starters, and lead the majors in strikeouts against left-handers.

Many of Boston’s best hitters are left-handed and their splits are noteworthy. Rafael Devers hits .327 against right-handers but just .236 against lefties. Wilyer Abreu (.277/.188) and Masataka Yoshida (.300/.140) have equally staggering splits.

A right-handed hitter with power, who could platoon at first base with Dominic Smith (or Triston Casas when he returns) and DH with Yoshida should be somewhat easy to obtain.

In the meantime, the Sox are resting while waiting for the season to resume. Jarren Duran, an All-Star outfielder, set the tone for what to expect after his four-hit game Sunday.

“I think (people will) just think what they want about us and we’re gonna keep grinding, you know?” he said. “We’re a good team. We’re scrappy, and we’re doing really good right now. We’re just trying to have some fun, so we’ll let everybody think what they want. As a team, you know, we’re with each other, and we love each other, and we’re here to play some ball.”

Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.