The Boston Red Sox earned probably their best win of the season over the Texas Rangers, and they never needed it more than they did Friday.
Boston came into its series opener against the Rangers with a lot going against it. The Red Sox historically have struggled in Arlington, Texas, and starter David Price had a 5.15 ERA overall against the Rangers and a 6.54 ERA at their home stadium. The Red Sox also have been slumping their way through June and had just dropped three of four games against the Chicago White Sox.
And for most of the game, it looked as though the Red Sox were going to let history repeat itself.
Price stumbled right out of the gate, allowing six runs on 12 hits — including a leadoff solo home run to start the game — and was yanked with only one out in the third inning. Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. pulled the Red Sox closer with two-run dingers in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, but even at 7-4, the game still felt like a loss.
That was until the ninth inning rolled around.
Jackie Bradley Jr. walked to start the final frame, but left fielder Bryce Brentz and third baseman Travis Shaw followed with two quick outs. But then, the Red Sox turned to Sandy Leon to pinch-hit, and the backup catcher worked an 11-pitch at-bat that culminated in an RBI double. Mookie Betts then smacked a Matt Bush fastball over the fence in center field to tie the game, and Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts reached base before Pedroia scored on a wild pitch.
It was a wild ninth inning and what Red Sox manager John Farrell called a “tremendous character win for our guys.” And while no one wants to start a game as badly as the Red Sox’s did, there’s no denying that a win like Friday’s boosts the mood in the clubhouse in a big way.
Betts described the win perfectly while talking about Leon’s at-bat.
“I feel like that at-bat is how you describe the Red Sox,” Betts said, per ESPN’s Scott Lauber. “We just grind, grind, never give up”
Here are some more notes from Friday’s comeback.
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— Betts said Sunday that he doesn’t consider himself a home run hitter, but his game-tying shot was his 16th of the season. The right-hander murdered a 97-mph fastball to center field, something Betts tends to do a lot.
“Bush has got a tremendous arm, but I don’t know that there’s anybody that throws hard enough to get a fastball by Mookie,” Farrell said, per The Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson.
And Betts knew it was a home run, too.
“That was one of the ones that I figured was going to go out,” Betts said, per MacPherson. “If it didn’t, I would have probably cried.”
— Bradley didn’t waste any time taking credit for Betts’ homer, either.
“That guy, man. I called it,” Bradley said of Betts, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I hate to take a lot of credit, but I called it. In that situation, it was big. It was a big swing from a big-time player. He’s a play-maker.”
“You have the play-maker at the plate,” Bradley added. “It was just something that I was feeling. If you don’t believe me you can ask Rick (Porcello). He was to my right. He’ll vouch for me.”
Bradford confirmed that Porcello did indeed vouch for Bradley’s clairvoyance.
— Despite Price’s poor performance, he earned a no-decision. Here’s a stat that proves pitchers’ wins and losses don’t mean much:
— Friday also was a redemption story for Koji Uehara, who lost Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox by giving up two home runs. Closer Craig Kimbrel wasn’t available for the save, but Uehara did his best Kimbrel (and vintage Koji) impression by striking out Prince Fielder, Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor in order.
— With the bullpen sufficiently taxed over the past few games, Farrell told reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, that the Red Sox likely will have to make a move for another reliever. Farrell said the hard-throwing Pat Light is the most rested.
— Farrell told reporters before the game that Brock Holt could rejoin the team Monday in Tampa Bay. Holt himself seems less sure of that.
— Bryce Brentz made his first major league start in left field this season, and it looks like he fit in just fine.
Thumbnail photo via Jim Cowsert/USA TODAY Sports Images
