84-68 - Rangers come alive to wreck Red Sox 15-5 in finale

The Texas Rangers scored a beefy 15 runs while the Boston Red Sox pushed across a meager 5 runs.

An inning into this game and the Rangers trailed 3-0 after starter Jon Gray allowed consecutive base runners following two quick outs before a serving up an incredibly deflating three-run dong to Adam Duvall. An inning later, after a solo shot by Bobby Dalbec, it was 4-0 Boston and Texas’ back was against the wall.

Not counting the mystical, magical trip to Toronto, the Rangers had scored more than four runs in a game just five times this month and now they would need to do so while also keeping Boston off the board for more runs with the balky bullpen all but assured many innings to turn this one calamitous.

That’s exactly what Texas did. They scored runs and scored them often and in bunches with five consecutive innings of multi-run output that began with a six-run outburst the half inning following the 4-0 deficit. Every member of the starting lineup had at least one hit with rookies Josh Jung and Evan Carter leading the way with three hits apiece, including home runs from both.

And the Rangers kept Boston from regaining the lead by blanking them until they had built a double-digit lead following Dalbec’s dinger. The bullpen, with Martin Perez leading the way, tossed six plus innings where they kept the Red Sox off the board until a two-out RBI hit in the 9th on the way to a win that secured Texas a series victory and bumped them back into a tie for first place in the AL West*.

*Pending result of Houston game

That lasted for like 15 minutes.

Player of the Game: You can pick and choose from any number of hitters from a lineup that scored 15 runs but Perez’s 4 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings in relief of a shaky Gray helped settle Texas in and allowed that lineup to go to work.

Up Next: The Rangers will enjoy their final scheduled day off of the 2023 season on Thursday before inviting the Mariners to Arlington for a massive series replete with playoff implications beginning on Friday night.