Final, Rangers 10-7: The Red Sox mustered up three runs in the ninth inning before Joakim Soria finally shut the door.
Jonny Gomes provided an RBI single and David Ortiz delivered a two-run double in Boston’s three-run ninth inning. The offensive outburst only delayed the inevitable, though, as the Rangers dealt the Red Sox a frustrating defeat in the second game of the teams’ three-game set at Fenway Park.
Felix Doubront got rocked before being lifted in the third inning. Doubront gave up five earned runs on six hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.
It wasn’t long before the Red Sox faced a 9-1 deficit, and Boston couldn’t mount a comeback because the offense continued to squander opportunities. The Red Sox produced 14 hits — including three apiece from Mike Napoli, Grady Sizemore and A.J. Pierzynski — but they also grounded into five double plays, their most in a single game since 2012.
The Red Sox will look to bounce back against the Rangers on Wednesday. Jake Peavy will go in the series’ rubber match, which is scheduled to get going at 4:05 p.m
Mid 9th, Rangers 10-4:Â The Rangers tacked on a run in the ninth.
Jim Adduci and Alex Rios led off with back-to-back hits. Adduci doubled and Rios followed with a single.
Adduci scored Texas’ 10th run when Michael Choice lifted a sacrifice fly into center field.
Xander Bogaerts made a nice backhanded play while ranging into the hole to create an inning-ending forceout.
End 8th, Rangers 9-4: The Red Sox will need a big ninth inning if they’re going to win their second game in a row.
The Red Sox’s offense couldn’t carry the momentum it generated in the seventh inning into the eighth inning. Neal Cotts held Boston scoreless in the eighth.
Grady Sizemore lined a double down the right field line in the eighth inning, though. His three-hit performance — his first since 2011 — certainly is one of the few silver linings for Boston in this game.
Mid 8th, Rangers 9-4: If Brandon Workman gets sent down when Craig Breslow is activated off the disabled list, the young right-hander has given the Red Sox a nice parting gift.
Workman pitched another perfect inning in the eighth. He has retired all nine hitters he has faced, even though the Red Sox still trail by five runs with only six offensive outs to make up the ground.
Workman struck out Elvis Andrus and Prince Fielder to cap his third inning of work.
End 7th, Rangers 9-4: The Red Sox aren’t going away quietly.
Boston scored three runs on four hits and a walk in the seventh inning. And for the first time in this game, the Fenway Faithful came alive.
Mike Napoli shattered his bat while shooting a leadoff single into right field. Grady Sizemore followed with a single.
Napoli advanced to third base when Xander Bogaerts flied out to center field, and Sizemore joined him in scoring position when Martin Perez fired a pitch in the dirt with A.J. Pierzynski batting.
Pierzynski capped an impressive nine-pitch battle — in which he actually fell behind in the count 1-2 — with a broken-bat grounder up the middle. Napoli crossed the plate with Boston’s second run of the game, and the Rangers turned to their bullpen.
Jason Frasor entered and walked Ryan Roberts. Jackie Bradley Jr. then laid off a couple of close pitches from Frasor before drilling a line drive off the Green Monster. Two runs scored, although Bradley nearly sent the ball sailing into the seats.
Jonny Gomes struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the threat. Boston clearly isn’t going down without a fight, though.
Mid 7th, Rangers 9-1: Brandon Workman has done a nice job since taking over at the start of the sixth inning.
Workman tossed a 1-2-3 seventh inning. He has retired all six batters he has faced in this game — a monumental accomplishment given the way Felix Doubront and Burke Badenhop got knocked around.
Michael Choice, Robinson Chirinos and Josh Wilson went down in order in the seventh.
End 6th, Rangers 9-1: Another inning. Another double play.
Dustin Pedroia grounded into a double play in the seventh inning — his second of the night — and the Red Sox now have grounded into five double plays as a team.
Pedroia’s double play spoiled Jonny Gomes’ leadoff walk. David Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning.
Mid 6th, Rangers 9-1:Â The Red Sox finally enjoyed a clean inning.
Brandon Workman tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning as the Rangers failed to score for the first time since the second inning.
Jim Adduci (who replaced Adrian Beltre), Alex Rios and Donnie Murphy went down in order.
Workman likely will be shipped back to Pawtucket on Wednesday when Craig Breslow is activated, so don’t be surprised if the young righty goes three innings in this one.
End 5th, Rangers 9-1: The Red Sox’s double play total is up to four.
Ryan Roberts grounded into a double play in the fifth inning after A.J. Pierzynski led off with a single.
Jackie Bradley Jr. chased a pitch down and out of the zone while striking out to end the inning.
Mid 5th, Rangers 9-1: The Rangers’ offense just keeps rolling.
Robinson Chirinos, who homered in Texas’ five-run third inning, doubled to lead off the fifth. He scored two batters later when Shin-Soo Choo collected a two-bagger of his own.
Brandon Workman is beginning to loosen in the Boston bullpen, so it’s likely he’ll take over next inning.
Adrian Beltre, meanwhile, has been removed from Texas’ lineup because of left quad tightness.
End 4th, Rangers 8-1: The Red Sox squared some balls up in the fourth inning. They have a run to show for it.
Dustin Pedroia led off with a double into the left field corner. He took third base when David Ortiz hit a towering fly ball to center field that Michael Choice drifted back onto the warning track to grab.
Mike Napoli put Boston on the scoreboard with an RBI single.
Napoli soon found himself in the middle of a questionable play that brought manager John Farrell out of the dugout. Grady Sizemore grounded to second base, where Donnie Murphy went to apply a tag on Napoli before firing to first base. It appeared Murphy might have missed the tag, though, and that led to an animated discussion between Farrell and second base umpire Jerry Meals.
Mid 4th, Rangers 8-0: The Rangers’ offense went right back to work in the fourth inning.
The first four hitters reached for Texas against Burke Badenhop, who recorded the final out of the third inning. Two runs scored in that span.
Shin-Soo Choo’s leadoff walk preceded back-to-back singles by Elvis Andrus and Prince Fielder. Adrian Beltre then made it 7-0 with a double off the wall in left-center field.
Because that wasn’t enough, Donnie Murphy labeled a fly ball to deep right field for a sacrifice fly that made it 8-0.
End 3rd, Rangers 5-0: Three innings. Three double plays.
Jackie Bradley Jr. joined Dustin Pedroia and A.J. Pierzynski in Boston’s double-play parade in the third inning.
Ryan Roberts led off with a seven-pitch walk in his first at-bat with the Red Sox. He wouldn’t stay on the bases long, though, as Bradley grounded to third base to begin the double play.
Jonny Gomes struck out looking to end the inning.
Mid 3rd, Rangers 5-0: Robinson Chirinos absolutely crushed a home run over everything in left field to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. It led to a big inning for Texas.
Chirinos, who made an Opening Day roster for the first time this season after batting .438 (14-for-32) during spring training, drilled a no-doubter over the Green Monster and into the parking lot across the street on a 3-2 pitch from Felix Doubront.
The Rangers weren’t done.
Shin-Soo Choo planted a single off the left field wall and scored when Prince Fielder yanked a ball down the right field line. Fielder was credited with a double, but he took third base on the throw home.
Fielder trotted home with Texas’ third run when Adrian Beltre singled into left field. Alex Rios also smashed a single into left, and that prompted a meeting at the mound.
Donnie Murphy stepped up after the mound visit and lifted a blooper into shallow center field. Grady Sizemore, Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia all converged on it — with Sizemore even going into a dive — but the ball dropped, enabling the Rangers to grab their fourth run.
Doubront was given the hook after issuing back-to-back walks that resulted in Texas’ fifth run. Burke Badenhop took over with the bases still loaded and finally stopped the bleeding.
End 2nd, 0-0: The first two hitters reached for Boston in the second inning. But again, a double play killed the Red Sox’s threat.
Mike Napoli and Grady Sizemore led off with back-to-back singles into center field. Napoli then took third base when Xander Bogaerts smoked a line drive to right field that Alex Rios raced back to grab.
The Red Sox couldn’t capitalize with runners at the corners, though. A.J. Pierzynski, who collected three hits in Monday’s series opener, grounded to shortstop Elvis Andrus, who stepped on second base and tossed to first base to complete an inning-ending double play.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: Felix Doubront was very sharp in the second inning.
Doubront needed just seven pitches to retire the side in order. The left-hander finished the inning by striking out Michael Choice on three pitches, the last of which was a 92 mph four-seamer on the corner.
End 1st, 0-0: So much for leadoff walks being devastating. Each team earned a free pass to begin its first set of at-bats. Neither scored.
Jonny Gomes walked on four pitches but was wiped off the bases when Dustin Pedroia grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Pedroia hit a high chopper right at third baseman Josh Wilson.
David Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Martin Perez pulled the string with a changeup to put away Ortiz.
Mid 1st, 0-0: The Rangers had a runner 90 feet away but couldn’t jump ahead in the first inning.
Felix Doubront issued a leadoff walk to Shin-Soo Choo, who advanced to second base on Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice bunt. Doubront didn’t have much time to throw out Andrus upon charging off the mound, but the left-hander delivered a strong toss to first base to complete the out.
Prince Fielder then lifted a high fly ball to center field that Grady Sizemore handled. Choo aggressively took third base, setting the table for Adrian Beltre, who is serving as the designated hitter.
Beltre flied out to end the inning.
6:13 p.m.:Â Felix Doubront tosses a first-pitch strike. We’re underway at Fenway Park.
5:50 p.m.: It’ll be interesting to see what Felix Doubront gives the Red Sox in his second start of the season. Doubront was so-so in his first start of the year Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles.
John Farrell said before Tuesday’s game he thinks Doubront has all of the skills and tools to be a quality starter — which he was for a three-month stretch last season. Farrell has been particularly impressed with the left-hander’s changeup, although consistency has been the pitcher’s biggest hurdle to date.
Doubront is 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 15 home appearances (14 starts) since the beginning of 2013.
Doubront is winless (0-3) in six career appearances (three starts) against the Rangers. His 11.40 ERA (19 earned runs in 15 innings) against Texas is his highest versus any American League team.
5:40 p.m.: Tuesday’s Red Sox-Rangers game will be televised on NESN, but that doesn’t mean we’re leaving the Bruins out in the cold. Tuesday’s Bruins-Wild game — coverage of which begins at 7:30 p.m. — will be televised on NESNplus. You can find your NESNplus channel at the link below.
Click here for Tuesday’s NESNplus channel listings >>
5:15 p.m.:Â It’s unique having a 6:10 p.m. start at Fenway. The idea is to make games on school nights more accessible to families.
4:32 p.m.: It sounds like Craig Breslow will be activated from the 15-disabled list before Wednesday’s series finale. Brandon Workman likely will be sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket in a corresponding roster move.
4:20 p.m.: Jonny Gomes will lead off for Boston.
Red Sox manager John Farrell reiterated before Tuesday’s game that Daniel Nava and Gomes will continue to be the club’s two main leadoff hitters. Farrell said Grady Sizemore might lead off every now and then, and he also said Shane Victorino could become an option against left-handed starters once he returns from his hamstring injury. For now, though, the Red Sox will stick with what they’ve done for much of the early going.
Ryan Roberts, who was signed Monday, will make his first start as a member of the Red Sox on Tuesday. He’ll bat eighth and play third base. Jonathan Herrera started the last three games at third base in Will Middlebrooks’ absence.
Jackie Bradley Jr. collected three hits, drove in two runs and played sensational defense in right field Monday. He’ll be rewarded with another start Tuesday. The 23-year-old again will bat ninth while patrolling right field.
Tuesday’s complete lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox (3-4)
Jonny Gomes, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Grady Sizemore, CF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Ryan Roberts, 3B
Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
Felix Doubront, LHP (1-0, 5.06 ERA)
Texas Rangers (3-4)
Shin-Soo Choo, LF
Elvis Andrus, SS
Prince Fielder, 1B
Adrian Beltre, 3B
Alex Rios, RF
Donnie Murphy, 2B
Michael Choice, CF
Robinson Chirinos, C
Josh Wilson, 3B
Martin Perez, LHP (0-0, 3.18 ERA)
4:15 p.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox were on the verge of doing something they didn’t do all of last season Monday. Fortunately for Boston, it never came to fruition.
The Red Sox, who didn’t lose more than three games in a row at any point in 2013, avoided dropping their fourth straight game Monday with a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. John Lackey lasted seven solid innings and Jackie Bradley Jr. sparked an offense that generated 14 hits against Tanner Scheppers and Co.
The Red Sox now will look to build a winning streak at Fenway. The Sox will host the Rangers on Tuesday for the second of three games against Texas. Felix Doubront will go up against Martin Perez.
Tuesday’s game comes with a little bit of a twist, as the action will kick off an hour earlier than usual. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m., and you can tune in on NESN while also following along with NESN.com.
