One of the most embarrassing stats of the 2026 Boston Red Sox is they are winless when trailing after 8 innings and almost winless when trailing after 7. Well good thing they weren't trailing after seven but they were tied 2-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers struck first in the top of the third against Ranger Suarez but Marcelo Mayer and Mickey Gasper answered with rbis in the bottom of the frame. A Michael Helman sac fly tied the game and it was on to the seventh. The Sox loaded the bases with 2 outs...inning over right? WRONG! Ceddanne Rafaela got a 2 run single to put the Sox ahead. Tyron Guerrero got taken deep by Jake Burger in the top of the eighth but Jarren Duran answered with a 2 run blast in the bottom of the inning. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Red Sox had won two in a row with a 6-3 win at Fenway Park.
Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wyatt Langford took strike three to start. Justin Foscue hit one up the elevator shaft and Josh Jung took strike three to end the inning. Jake deGrom got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Gasper grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Wilyer Abreu lined out to left to end the inning.
Ezequiel Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Jake Burger struck out swinging. Cody Freeman struck out swinging to end the inning. Willson Contreras flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran grounded out to first. Caleb Durbin popped up to first to end the inning.
The Rangers struck first in the top of the third as Michael Helman flied out to center to start. Elias Diaz popped up to first but Nicky Lopez got a base hit to center. Langford got a base hit to center and Lopez came around to score on an error by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Wyatt moving to second on the play. Foscue grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.
The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Kiner atoned for his error with a base hit to left. Marcelo Mayer got a base hit to center but Carlos Narvaez struck out looking. Gasper got a base hit to right to score Kiner but Rafaela struck out swinging. Abreu drilled a base hit to right to score Mayer but Willson Contreras grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
Sox take the lead
The Rangers tied it up in the top of the fourth as Jung got a base hit to left to start. Duran got a base hit to left as well and Burger walked to load the bases. Freeman struck out swinging but Helman hit a sac fly to right to score Jung. Diaz forced Burger at second to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.
That's a tie game
Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Durbin grounded out to short. Kiner grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rangers made a bunder in the bottom of the fifth as Lopez singled off the glove of Durbin to start. Lopez stole second and Langford got a base hit to right to move Nicky to third. Foscue hit a grounder to third and Lopez got caught in a rundown to move the runners over. Jung walked to load the bases but both Duran and Burger took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Suarez who didn't have his best stuff, allowing 2 runs in just 5 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.
Mayer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Narvaez lined out to right. Gasper grounded out to first to end the inning.
Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Freeman struck out swinging to start. Helman flied out to left but Diaz got a base hit to left. Lopez flied out to left to end the inning. Rafaela flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth and Abreu did the same. Contreras singled to left but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.
Sox take the lead
Burger hits one out
"We win, got a problem with that?" - AC
Ceddanne Hero
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Langford grounded out to third to start. Joc Pederson pinch hit for Foscue and lined out to center. Jung struck out swinging to end the inning. Cole Winn came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Durbin took strike three to start. Kiner got a base hit in the hole at third but Mayer took strike three. Narvaez beat out a roller to third and Robby Ahlstrom came in to face Gasper. Sox manager Chad Tracy countered by pinch hitting Andruw Monasterio for Gasper. Monasterio walked to load the bases and Rafaela slashed a base hit to left to score both Kiner and Narvaez. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.
Tyron "El Lanzallama" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Burger then smashed his 100th career home run to cut the lead. Freeman got a base hit past Guerrero and Helman was hit with a pitch to chase Tyron. Brandon Nimmo pinch hit for Diaz and Danny Coulombe came in to face him. Nimmo flied out to left and Lopez forced Helman at second to end the inning with the Rangers down 4-3.
Peyton Gray came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Kyle Higashioka behind the plate. Contreras doubled to left and Duran clobbered his 11th home run of the year to ice the game. Durbin grounded out to short, Kiner flied out to left and Mayer popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.
Number 11 for Duran
Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Langford got a base hit to left to start. Pederson struck out swinging and Jung flied out to right. Duran struck out swinging to end the game, the Sox had won it 6-3.
Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His 2 run single in the seventh put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Andruw Monasterio walked as a pinch hitter.
Willson Contreras was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.
Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Danny Coulombe got the final 2 outs of the eighth inning.
Aroldis Chapman earned his 14th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Tyron Guerrero allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the hit was a 2 run home run.
Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Ranger Suarez allowed 2 runs in just 5 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.
Final Thoughts:
Better late than never for this Red Sox offense and that includes this season. not just this game. After sleepwalking through the first two months, it looks like things worked themselves out. The Sox were getting clutch hits and home runs today they weren't getting from the same hitters the first two months. Suarez didn't look his best but apart from one mistake to Jake Burger, the Sox bullpen shut things down. The pitching has been their strength this season but the bats appear to have finally woken up. Good to see Duran back in a groove and the trio of Rafaela, Abreu and Contreras keep motoring along. The Sox need to go on a nice long winning streak in a bad way before they fall too far behind as we are a month and a half away from the trade deadline. Most of the fans want to sell anyway but winning cures everything. Hopefully the Sox are in good shape moving forward. The Sox look to sweep the Rangers out of Fenway tomorrow night on Sunday Night Baseball. Connelly Early (5-4, 3.30 ERA) takes on old friend Nathan Eovaldi. The game begins at 7:20 PM at Fenway Park.
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