The Boston Red Sox are back on track.
After dropping three games — and second place in the American League East standings — to the New York Yankees, the Red Sox had a much-needed 6-0 domination of the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on Friday night.
Nearly every batter in the lineup logged a hit, with the exception of Rafael Devers and Bobby Dalbec, though he did reach on a walk and a hit by pitch. All together, the group combined for six doubles to get back in the win column.
The Red Sox now are 70-54, while the Rangers dropped to 42-80.
Here’s how it all went down in Boston:
GAME IN A WORD
Needed.
After a three-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees, a game like this is exactly what the doctor ordered.
ON THE BUMP
— Chris Sale gave up his fair share of knocks in the early innings of his start, beginning with a first-inning double. But he worked his way out of what could have been a dangerous situation early with two consecutive strikeouts.
He logged a walk and a single in the second inning but did get another K. In the third inning, he fanned two more to send the side down in order after Brock Holt grounded out to start.
The fourth inning quickly got dicey. With one out, Sale allowed a pair of singles and ended up with runners on the corners. Yonny Hernandez bunted into the air and the run came home, but luckily for Sale, it got called back due to interference, and the inning ended on a lineout.
Sale needed the defense behind him to get out of the fifth, too. His day was done after that, and he finished with five hits, five strikeouts and a walk through five complete innings.
— Hansel Robles came in for the sixth and ended with a strikeout and a walk, but no hits.
–Austin Davis got the seventh and gave up two hits.
— In the eighth, Hirokazu Sawamura fanned two of the three batters he faced in the eighth.
— Matt Barnes sealed it by striking out the side in the ninth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox didn’t wait long to get going. A leadoff double from Kiké Hernández set the tone for a first inning that also saw singles from Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber. Hernández came around to score on Bogaerts’ hit, making it 1-0.
— In the second inning, it was more of the same. Christian Vázquez earned his 500th career hit with a double to start off the frame, and he came home on a Hernández single for a 2-0 ballgame.
— Schwarber doubled to start off the third, but he was caught on the base path in between a pair of outs. The side went down in order in the fourth.
— The fifth inning looked to be more of the same before Bogaerts began a two-out rally. He launched a solo home run to make it a 3-0 game, then Schwarber reached on a walk. Martinez and Alex Verdugo logged back-to-back doubles, the latter of which brought two runs home, forcing Dane Dunning out of the game.
— Jarren Duran continued the fun with a leadoff double in the sixth. He eventually came home to score and make it 6-0.
— Schwarber reached again on a walk in the seventh but was stranded. Dalbec got on board in the eighth with a two-out walk, but he was left out there as well.
TWEET OF THE GAME
This was fun from the start.
UP NEXT
The series continues Saturday. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6, 4.97 ERA) will get the ball for the Red Sox, while Jordan Lyles (5-10, 5.55 ERA) will start for the Rangers.
First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET on NESN.
