Red Sox @ Rangers Game Thread/ 18-20th September 2023

Jung's go-ahead single helps Rangers beat Red Sox 6-4 and end 4-game losing streak
AP

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Josh Jung hit a tiebreaking single in a two-run seventh inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Tuesday night in their bid for an AL playoff berth.

Texas, which ended a four-game losing streak, closed within a half-game of AL West-leading Houston. The Rangers remained tied with Seattle for the third wild card, one game behind Toronto,

Texas plays the Mariners in seven of its last 10 games.

“It’s going to be a fight every night," said Jung, who returned Monday after missing 37 games with a fractured left thumb.

Aroldis Chapman (6-4) retired five consecutive batters in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out three, and Jose Leclerc pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in eight chances.

Chapman's 1,145 strikeouts are 10th among relievers.

“I think the addition of that sinker, he’s making it tougher for everybody," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

With the score 4-4, Marcus Semien was hit by a pitch from Chris Murphy (1-2) leading off the seventh and took second on Corey Seager’s single. John Schreiber relieved with one out and Jung grounded a single to center. Schreiber forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Jonah Heim.

Boston, last in the AL East, has lost five of six.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the seventh by plate umpire Ben May after a ball four to Luis Urias. Alex Verdugo followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to shortstop but Seager’s throw to second sailed into right field for an error that tied the score 4-4.

“I was kidding the staff now: ‘Hey I need to leave the dugout a little bit more,’” Bochy said.

Adolis Garcia’s career-best 35th homer, his first since coming off the injured list, put Texas ahead in the second. Justin Turner hit a tying RBI grounder in a three-run third that included Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single.

Semien hit a run-scoring single in the fifth, and Texas went ahead 4-3 in the sixth on Leody Taveras’s run-scoring single and Heim’s RBI double.

FOR STARTERS

Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in five innings. It was his fourth start since coming off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 5. He didn’t go further than 3 1/3 innings in his previous three outings.

Boston’s Tanner Houck gave up two runs, three hits and four walks in four innings.

THE BAND’S BACK TOGETHER

Tuesday’s game was Texas’ first since July 18 featuring all six of its 2023 all-stars: Eovaldi, Garcia, Semien, Seager, Jung and Heim.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Wilyer Abreu (sore hand) is day to day. … An MRI revealed 1B Triston Casas, who won’t play anymore this season, has bursitis in his right shoulder.

Rangers: Bochy said RHP Josh Sborz (biceps tendinitis) is close to returning after throwing Monday.

UP NEXT

Wednesday afternoon’s rubber game will match Rangers RHP Jon Gray (8-8, 4.05 ERA) against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (12-9, 3.71). Gray is 0-3 in his previous six outings. Bello comes off a loss and hasn’t lost consecutive starts since early June.

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RED SOX NOTEBOOK
With Red Sox in Texas, reliever Chris Martin reflects on journey that has brought him full circle
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated September 19, 2023, 9:03 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Texas — For Chris Martin, the series against the Rangers represents a homecoming.

He grew up 10 minutes from Globe Life Field and went to nearby Arlington High School. His father worked in walking distance of where the Rangers play.

That fact alone makes a visit to play the Rangers an opportunity to reflect on an unlikely and circuitous career path — one that saw Martin quit baseball in college because of a shoulder injury, eventually return to the game in semi-pro and then independent ball, grind through the minors for three years before a couple cups of coffee in 2014 and 2015, then go to Japan from 2016-17.


Yet Texas also represented not only Martin’s baseball beginnings but also the start of the his second career. After two years with Nippon Ham, he returned to the States by signing a two-year deal with the Rangers for 2018-19.

“Obviously, being as far away from home as I was for two years, I would have definitely taken less money to go to be home,” Martin recalled before the Red Sox’ 6-4 loss Tuesday night. “I remember I was at a Christmas party and I got the call [finalizing a deal with the Rangers]. Pretty good Christmas present.”
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Martin was 31 with 40 MLB appearances on his résumé when he signed that deal. Did he imagine then that over the next six years, he’d pitch in 283 more big league games, forging a 2.99 ERA, winning a World Series ring, and going on the best run of his career — 19 straight scoreless appearances and counting entering Tuesday, dropping his ERA to 1.07 (third lowest in Sox history) — at 37 years old?

“No, I did not,” acknowledged Martin. “I’ve had the mentality that every year is a bonus from here on out. I get the question, ‘When do you feel like you’re going to hang ‘em up?’ Every year is a bonus for me. I definitely didn’t expect this type of career.”

Meanwhile, for all that has gone wrong for the Red Sox this year, Martin — signed to a two-year, $17.5 million deal last November — has exceeded any reasonable expectations the team might have had. The team knew it wanted to add him as a strike thrower (75 percent strike rate, far and away the highest in the big leagues) but could not have imagined how consistently he’d carve the zone with a five-pitch mix out of the bullpen.

“There are guys that throw strikes. There are people that throw quality strikes. That’s what he does, everywhere. He can go in against righties, in against lefties, up, down, chases. He’s been great in the clubhouse, too,” said manager Alex Cora. “He’s been able to post, which is the most important thing. … [After 2021], we were in conversations in the offseason. It didn’t happen. He went to the Cubs, and then he ended up with the Dodgers. But he was kind of priority number one for us [last offseason]. We needed this guy. He’s here, he’s been great, and looking forward to the rest of the season and next year, too.”
Drohan done

Lefthander Shane Drohan, who emerged this year as one of the top Red Sox pitching prospects, was placed on Triple A Worcester’s development list, meaning he won’t make another appearance this season. The 24-year-old finished the year with 123 innings between Double A and the WooSox, dominating in Portland (1.32 ERA in five starts) while struggling to a 6.89 ERA in Triple A.

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Still, he showed improvements in his arsenal and a diverse mix that has positioned him as a potential contributor to the Sox staff at some point in 2024 and beyond.

“I would say [2023 was a season] of growth, development, understanding who he needs to be as a pitcher probably at the upper levels but to eventually make an impact in the big leagues,” said farm director Brian Abraham. “Ultimately, [it was a year of] understanding that there’s another gear, another step that’s needed to be major league depth and be able to do that for an extended period of time.”

One of the biggest challenges for Drohan will be continuing to add weight and strength to sustain top-level performance. Last winter, he ate two steaks a day to go from 175 pounds to roughly 191.

“I know he ate a lot of steak last offseason,” said Abraham. “We’ll have to increase the ounces.”
Casas diagnosed

First baseman Triston Casas — who is on the injured list and won’t play again this year — has been diagnosed with bursitis in his right shoulder. Cora said the team will develop a treatment plan in the coming days, but that Casas wasn’t expected to need surgery. … Outfielder Wilyer Abreu (left arm) was out of the lineup for a second straight day, but is expected to play either Wednesday or when the team returns to Boston on Friday. … Pitcher Kenley Jansen, who was expected to rejoin the Sox from the COVID-19 injured list in Texas, has yet to be cleared and won’t be activated before the weekend … Righthander Kaleb Ort gave up a hit and a walk while striking out one in ⅓ of an inning, and lefty Joely Rodriguez went ⅔ of an inning, allowing a run on two hits, in Worcester’s 4-3 loss at Lehigh Valley ... The WooSox announced that they drew 519,651 fans to Polar Park this year, which is expected to rank as the sixth-highest attendance total and average in the minors. The team sold 545,231 tickets, which is expected to be the most in Minor League Baseball … High A Greenville beat Hudson Valley, 7-3, in Game 2 to sweep the best-of-three South Atlantic League championship series.

Game 153: Red Sox at Rangers lineups and notes
By Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated September 20, 2023, 18 minutes ago

The Red Sox have an early afternoon getaway day game on Wednesday, with a chance to escape Texas with a series win and put another dent in the Rangers’ playoff hopes.

Brayan Bello’s struggles taking the mound for day games have been well-documented — he’s 3-4 with a 5.80 ERA during those early starts — a trend he’ll want to break for the series finale. The righthander has been excellent in two career outings against Texas, allowing just two earned runs over 13 innings and notching two wins.

The Rangers will counter with veteran Jon Gray, who allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings against the Sox earlier this season. Gray and Bello faced off in that meeting in July, with Bello and the Sox claiming a 4-2 win.

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Lineups

RED SOX (75-77):


Ceddanne Rafaela (R) SS
Rafael Devers (L) 3B
Justin Turner (R) DH
Alex Verdugo (L) RF
Adam Duvall (R) CF
Masataka Yoshida (L) LF
Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
Reese McGuire (L) C
Luis Urias (R) 2B


Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (12-9, 3.71 ERA)

RANGERS (83-68):


Marcus Semien (R) 2B
Corey Seager (L) SS
Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B
Josh Jung (R) 3B
Adolis Garcia (R) RF
Jonah Heim (S) C
Mitch Garver (R) DH
Leody Taveras (S) CF
Evan Carter (L) LF


Pitching: RHP Jon Gray (8-8, 4.05 ERA)


Time: 2:05 p.m.

TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

Red Sox vs. Gray: Rafael Devers 0-3, Adam Duvall 1-8, Reese McGuire 0-0, Rob Refsnyder 0-1, Justin Turner 15-42, Luis Urías 2-9, Alex Verdugo 4-13, Connor Wong 2-3, Masataka Yoshida 1-3

Rangers vs. Bello: Ezequiel Duran 1-2, Adolis García 1-6, Mitch Garver 1-3, Robbie Grossman 1-3, Jonah Heim 0-3, Travis Jankowski 1-3, Josh Jung 0-3, Nathaniel Lowe 1-6, Corey Seager 3-6, Marcus Semien 0-7

Stat of the day: Rafael Devers has hit .435 with a 1.536 OPS over the last eight games.

Notes: Tuesday’s loss was the Sox’ fifth in the last six games ... Bello recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts in his latest start, a 3-0 loss at Toronto on Friday. He pitched six innings and limited the Blue Jays to four hits, but one of those hits was a three-run home run by Vladimir Guerrero Jr ... Bello has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past six starts, and has a 4-2 record during that span ... Devers was named AL Player of the Week for the second time in his career ... Gray has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his past five starts and in seven of his past nine. He has a 5.72 ERA during that stretch.

Song of the Day:The Beatles - Revolution

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw

Alex Speier
@alexspeier
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6m
Brayan Bello has a 2.80 ERA in 17 night games this year. Through 2 innings and 6 runs/5 earned allowed today, he has a 6.51 ERA in 10 day games.