Red Sox Wrap: Rangers Spoil Boston Sweep With Stunning Comeback

BOSTON — The Red Sox shockingly collapsed in the ninth inning against the Rangers as Texas flipped the switch with a 9-7 win in 10 innings at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

With the loss, Boston fell 63-56 while Texas improved to 56-65.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Boston took the first two games over Texas giving the Red Sox a picture-perfect opportunity to do something the team hasn’t accomplished since embarking on the second half of the season: record a series sweep — which they nearly accomplished.

When Texas designated hitter Adolis García crushed a towering 413-foot home run in the sixth inning to even up the score with Boston at 2-2, and then again in the eighth inning (at 381 feet) to cut Boston’s lead down to 4-3, the Red Sox responded. Starting pitcher Tanner Houck recorded five outs after García’s first round-tripper of the night to cap off a quality outing before handing off the remaining seven outs of work to Boston’s bullpen.

However, the Red Sox still had work to do as the team’s bullpen woes returned for yet another untimely instance, leaving it up to the offense — not once and not twice.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Masastaka Yoshida belted a double off the Green Monster, giving the Red Sox a much-needed runner in scoring position. Boston capitalized at just the right time as deadline acquisition Danny Jansen smoked a single past third base to plate home the go-ahead run for Boston. Jansen’s heroic work in the batter’s box sparked a three-run rally.

Yet… that still wasn’t enough.

Texas tied it up in the ninth inning, down to its final out as Wyatt Langford hit a game-tying three-run home run, cornering Boston with a stunning come-from-behind flip-of-the-switch. Catcher Jonah Heim recorded the fourth Texas home run of the night in the following inning, delivering in the clutch and putting the Rangers in the driver’s seat to send the Red Sox to the loss column in gut-wrenching fashion.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Heim stunned the thousands in attendance at Fenway Park by mashing the biggest home run of the game in the top of the 10th inning. The 29-year-old finished 1-for-2 with the game-deciding at-bat of the night.

— Houck provided an elite performance on the mound, pitching 6 2/3 innings while allowing two earned runs off six hits while striking out three. The right-hander remained poised despite logging a pair of hit-by-pitches to keep Boston’s two-run lead intact by the time Red Sox manager Alex Cora signaled to the bullpen.

— García tagged Boston’s pitching in consecutive at-bats, both times leading a game-tying inning from Texas. The two-time All-Star went 3-for-5 as García recorded the eighth multi-home run performance of his career.

ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will next hit the road and begin a critical seven-game trip away from Fenway Park starting Thursday night against the Baltimore Orioles. First pitch from Oriole Park at Camden Yards is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, along with a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.