All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 10-6 win over the Rangers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
The Red Sox rallied for six runs in the seventh inning to defeat the Rangers, 10-6, and in the process, win the three-game series.
Nathan Eovaldi returned to Fenway Park as a visitor and faced his former team. The right-hander was good but he was not the dominant pitcher he’s been this season.
Eovaldi went 5 1/3 innings giving up four earned runs on five hits and issuing four walks. He was greeted by a decent ovation from the Fenway crowd when he was removed from the game.
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford lasted four innings giving up seven hits in the process while allowing three runs.
Crawford worked an eight-pitch first inning to begin the game retiring the Rangers in order. He took an early 1-0 lead into the second inning and the Rangers quickly tied the game. He then left a curveball over the plate and Rangers’ All-Star slugger Adolis García hammered it deep off the center field wall, just missing a home run by about two feet.
Jonah Heim later singled to right, tying the game at one apiece. Ezequiel Duran then doubled followed by a four-pitch walk to Robbie Grossman loaded the bases. The Sox righty settled down and got out of trouble, fanning Leody Taveras before a Marcus Semien fly out.
The righty wasn’t particularly sharp tossing 73 pitches before lefty Joe Jacques came on to replace him.
Kiké Hernández hit a two-run, go-ahead single in the seventh inning that sparked the Sox' offense late in the game.
TURNING POINT
The Rangers took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning and ultimately their bullpen coughed up the lead.
After two walks and an Adam Duvall double with the bases loaded and one out, Hernández connected for a broken bat looper into left field scoring two runs.
IT STARTED WITH KIKÉ! pic.twitter.com/zejXacM73j
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 7, 2023
Christian Arroyo, Connor Wong, Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida followed with RBI singles of their own to give Boston insurance runs.
The Red Sox sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and collected seven hits off relief pitchers Josh Sborz, Grant Anderson, John King and Jose Leclerc.
UP
Connor Wong was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI and he was also hit by a pitch. The Red Sox collected 13 hits, with Turner, Yoshida, Rafael Devers and Wong each having multi-hit games.
Corey Seager continued to stay hot. He went 3-for-5, including a solo homer in the ninth inning off of Justin Garza. Seager is now hitting .476 (10-for-21) over his last five games with three doubles, a homer, two RBI and a .762 slugging percentage.
Josh Winckowski was the star out of the Sox bullpen on Thursday night. He pitched two scoreless innings and didn’t give up a hit in his outing. He also worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top half of the seventh inning.
DOWN
Boston’s relievers Brandon Walter and Winckowski combined for three scoreless innings before Garza gave up the Seager blast in the ninth inning. Garza’s roster spot is in question as the righty has struggled over his last five games. He has pitched to a 9.45 ERA giving up 11 hits, seven earned runs, three homers and eight walks in 6 2/3 innings. With injured players returning like Joely Rodriguez, Richard Bleier, Yu Chang and Pablo Reyes, 40-man casualties are coming soon.
NOTABLE
Chris Martin threw one pitch in the ninth to slam the door shut on the Rangers, he induced a 1-6-3 double play that kicked off him and bounced to Hernández to end the contest.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will begin a three-game series against the AL West cellar dweller Oakland Athletics on Friday night. The team has not yet announced a starter for the series opener on Friday. James Paxton (4-1, 2.70 ERA) will pitch on Saturday and is the only starting pitcher announced for the series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET on NESN and WEEI 93.7 F.M.