All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Rangers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Refsnyder plays the hero: In his major league career, Rob Refsnyder had never contributed a walk-off hit -- until the ninth inning Thursday night that is, when he pulled a single into left field with the bases loaded and one out, scoring Rafael Devers with the winning run as the Sox staged a dramatic comeback. The Sox had entered the ninth trailing by three runs, but six of the first seven hitters who came to the plate that inning reached, setting the stage for Refsnyder, who went to the plate with the bases loaded. "I figured (Texas reliever Jonathan Hernandez) had to be aggressive there,'' said Refsnyder. "He's got great stuff. I was just see him up and out and try to stay inside it and I was fortunate enough to get a ball up and out. I started doing the math a little bit (as the inning went along) and I thought, 'Oh, man, I might get a shot here.' And when he did, he made the most of it.
Devers snaps out of it: The All-Star third baseman was going through one of his worst slumps of the season, with an 0-for-21 skid coming into Thursday before three more hitless plate appearances to start the night. But in the eighth inning. Devers hit a double to the triangle, and in the ninth, he knocked in two more on a double to left-center. Those two at-bats, producing three runs, not only were keys to the comeback, but also might signal the start of a turnaround at the plate for Devers. "If we're going to anything this month,'' said Refsnyder, "Raffy's going to be driving the ship, so it was really, really good to see him (come through), especially with how hard he's been working to try to get back on track.''
Rally in the ninth is more like it: Throughout the season, Alex Cora has been preaching a number of points to his inconsistent offense: take walks; don't chase pitches outside or on the edge of the strike zone; and use the entire field. Lo and behold, all of those concepts came together in the four-run ninth that capped the team's comeback victory. It began with both Tommy Pham and Alex Verdugo working consecutive walks to provide the Sox with some baseunners. Then, both Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernandez delivered run-scoring hits to the opposite field. And finally, other than J.D. Martinez, who struck out after flailing at a breaking ball well outside the strike zone, the Sox showed discipline within the strike zone that helped hone their approach.
TURNING POINT
The real heroics came later in the game, but in a sense, the solo homer from Alex Verdugo in the bottom of the sixth, got the Red Sox pointed in the right direction. First, it brought them back to within a run of the Rangers at 4-3. It also resulted in starter Glenn Otto being lifted from the game, paving the way for the Red Sox to do some damage in the final two innings against the Texas bullpen. And it also sent a signal that the Red Sox were poised to fight back in this one, resulting in one of their biggest comeback wins of the season.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo scored three runs on the night and had three hits, too, including a solo homer into the center field bleachers in the sixth.
Christian Arroyo: It seems that Arroyo has been the team's most consistent performer over the last month and he was right in the middle of this winning effort, with a two-run double in the fourth and a run-scoring single in the eighth.
TWO DOWN
Rich Hill: Hill couldn't match his last start, allowing four runs on five hits in four-plus inning, due mostly to poor command and execution.
Zack Kelly: After two scoreless outings as he made his debut in Minnesota. Kelly had a rough night, allowing two runs on three hits with two walks in his only inning of work.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That last inning is kind of what we expect from the lineup: swing at strikes, keep the line moving. A good win.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The walkoff win was the fourth this season for the Red Sox and the five-run deficit they overcame tied for their largest in a win this season.
* The Red Sox improved to 22-8 against teams from the AL West.
* Alex Verdugo had his 10th game this season with at least three hits.
* Xander Bogaerts tied a season high by scoring three runs.
* Christian Arroyo is batting .367 since coming off the IL on July 30.
UP NEXT; The second game of the series takes place Friday at 7:10 p.m., with RHP Nick Pivetta (9-10, 4.40) facing off with LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-8, 8.84).