BOSTON — Even with the unofficial start of summer right around the corner, the Red Sox’s bats remained ice-cold Thursday night.
Boston managed just one run on six hits in the finale of their three-game series with the Texas Rangers, spoiling a strong start by Clay Buchholz in a 3-1 loss at Fenway Park.
It was the seventh time in nine games the Red Sox had failed to score more than two runs.
GAME IN A WORD
Same-old.
In a repeat of Wednesday night, the Red Sox got a quality outing from their starter — Buchholz allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 7 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out four — but backed him up with a nearly nonexistent offense.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Recently appointed Rangers closer Scott Tolleson surrendered a leadoff double to David Ortiz in the ninth before retiring three in a row. Mike Napoli and Brock Holt, who struck out a combined five times in the game, both went down by way of the K for the final two outs.
ON THE BUMP
— The Red Sox found themselves in a 2-0 hole less than 10 minutes after first pitch as Buchholz struggled through a rough opening frame.
Buchholz allowed three of the game’s first four batters to reach — on a single, a bunt single and a walk — and two runs came around to score on a one-out groundout by Mitch Moreland. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia fielded the grounder and fired to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who recorded the forceout but dropped the ball on the transfer, allowing Delino DeShields to score from second with run No. 2.
The right-hander did settle down in the second, though, tossing a 1-2-3 inning against the bottom third of the Rangers’ order.
Texas struck next in the fourth, with Moreland depositing a Buchholz cutter into the Monster seats in left-center to put the visitors up 3-0.
Buchholz was clean the rest of the way, allowing two singles but no runs over his final 3 1/3 innings of work before being lifted with one out in the eighth.
— Tommy Layne took over on the hill and completed a scoreless eighth, walking one and stranding runners on the corners.
— Alexi Ogando allowed a single and a double to put two men in scoring position in the ninth but got Adam Rosales to ground out to the mound to escape the jam.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Rangers starter Wandy Rodriguez faced the minimum through the first three innings. It wasn’t until the fourth that the Red Sox finally showed some life.
Mookie Betts and Pedroia went single, double to open the frame, and Ortiz scored Betts from third with a groundout into the shift to cut the Rangers’ lead to 3-1. That’s all the Red Sox could muster, though, as Pedroia was thrown out trying to score on a chopper to the mound, and Napoli fanned for the final out.
— Daniel Nava, a former switch hitter who now bats almost exclusively from the left side, decided to bat right-handed in the third inning against the southpaw Rodriguez. It was just Nava’s fourth righty at-bat of the season, and it did not turn out well. He struck out swinging on four pitches.
Nava batted righty in his next at-bat, too, and while he ended up on first with a single, his ground ball hit Bogaerts in the leg, wiping one runner off the basepaths. He returned to the left side in the seventh against right-handed reliever Keone Kela and again went down swinging.
— Rodriguez did a great job of keeping everything on the ground, recording only two of his 20 outs via flyout. The Sox managed just one run on four hits and two walks against the Rangers lefty in his 6 2/3 innings of work.
— Pablo Sandoval, who did not start the game as he continued to recover from a bruised knee, pinch-hit for catcher Sandy Leon to lead off the eighth against Kela. Sandoval typically feasts on right-handed pitching, but that was not the case Thursday. He struck out swinging, and the Red Sox went down scoreless in the frame.
— After promising showings at the plate in Games 1 and 2 of the series, Napoli regressed in the finale, going 0-for-4 with three K’s.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Is it time to see what Rusney Castillo can do?
[tweet https://twitter.com/GordonEdes/status/601558149259231233 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
The Red Sox wrap up their tour through the American League West this weekend when they host the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game series. Game 1 on Friday will pit Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello against Angels righty Garrett Richards.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
