It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Such was the case for the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, as they walked off with a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers. Jesse Chavez surrendered a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts in the ninth to score Christian Vazquez for the game-winning run.
Rick Porcello gave the Sox a solid start at Fenway Park, as the right-hander bounced back from two first-inning runs to set down 18 of the last 20 batters he faced.
Andrew Benintendi led the Red Sox at the plate, collecting two doubles and a triple, driving in two of Boston’s initial three runs while scoring the third.
With the win, Boston moves back above .500 at 35-34, while Texas falls to 36-31.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Solid.
A solid start from Porcello and a solid finish from the lineup.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello recorded the first two outs of the afternoon rather quickly, but ran into some trouble in search of the third.
Elvis Andrus provided a two-out double, which was followed by a Nomar Mazara ground-rule double to the triangle in center field. Hunter Pence smoked a double in the next at-bat to drive in both runners, making it 2-0 Rangers after the top half of the first.
Following Pence’s two-run double, Porcello turned around to retire 15 straight, with the initial 10 going down on just 30 pitches.
The righty was solid the rest of the way, but was pulled after giving up a two-out single in the seventh. Porcello’s outing concluded with a line of 6 2/3 innings, five hits, two earned runs, six strikeouts and no walks. He retired 18 of the final 20 batters he faced.
— Brandon Workman was first out of the bullpen for Boston, striking out Ronald Guzman to end the seventh inning.
The right-hander came back out for the eighth, but got himself into a bit of a jam by hitting Shin-Soo Choo. Delino Shields laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Christian Vazquez’s errant throw sailed by Michael Chavis at first. Andrus then hit a sac-fly into right to score Choo and knot the game at three. Workman would strike out Pence to get out of the inning without any further damage.
— Matt Barnes threw a scoreless ninth. He would ultimately collect the win.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Benintendi provided a punch at the dish for the Red Sox, smacking a first-inning double to left field. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a Rafael Devers base hit.
Benintendi crushed a two-out triple to center field in the third, scoring Jackie Bradley Jr. to tie the game at two and gave the Red Sox the lead in the fifth with an RBI double off the Green Monster, scoring Chavis from first.
— Vazquez led off the ninth with a double to center field, followed by a Bradley Jr. single.
Chavis walked to load the bases, which brought up Betts, who drew the walk-off walk to seal the 4-3 win.
— Brock Holt cracked Boston’s second triple of the afternoon with two down in the fourth inning, but was stranded at third.
TWEET OF THE GAME
The Sox needed a start like this from Porcello.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox wrap up their series with the Rangers Thursday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
