BSJ Game Report: Rangers 15, Red Sox 5 - Bello struggles as Texas stomps Boston in series finale

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Rangers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Rangers trounce Bello, Sox in series finale: The Red Sox spotted Brayan Bello an early 4-0 lead through two innings, but the Rangers woke up in a big way, going on a 15-0 run over the next eight innings en route to a 15-5 win to take the series from Boston. Bello allowed a career-high eight runs (all earned), including giving up six in the bottom of the second as the Sox' lead evaporated in short order. Marcus Semien and Jonah Heim led the way for the Rangers with three RBI each. Adam Duvall and Bobby Dalbec each homered for Boston, who will return home for a three-game set with the White Sox this weekend. 

TURNING POINT

Bottom of the second: Bello couldn't settle in, even with a nice early lead. After giving up a single and a walk, Heim took Bello's changeup deep to cut it to 4-3. The young right-hander's body language took a dramatic shift before Mitch Garver made it back-to-back homers to tie it 4-4. Semien kept the run going with a two-RBI single to give the Rangers a 6-4 lead. Bello allowed seven straight baserunners and five straight hits before recording an out in the second. Despite the two-run deficit, Boston was staring up a mountain after the second.

TWO UP

Bobby Dalbec: All the guy does is hit as he makes the most of this showcase to close out the year. Hit his first home run of the season with a 107-mph, 427-foot nuke to straightaway center field on a slider. Finished the day 2-for-4 with the run, RBI and two strikeouts. Made a nice play at first to turn two and help Boston get out of that nightmare second inning without more damage. 

Adam Duvall: Got off the schneid with a three-run blast in the top of the first for his 20th home run of the year, crushing a four-seamer 443 feet with a 109 mph exit velocity. He needed that. In his previous seven games, Duvall was hitting .074 (2-for-27). He was hitting .130 in his last 15 (7-for-54). Finished 2-for-4 with the run, three RBI and two K's.

THREE DOWN

Brayan Bello: Is the day game vs. night game issue officially a thing? This was by far Bello's worst start of the season and his career, and it came after his team spotted him a 4-0 lead early on. It should have been smooth sailing, but he completely crumbled in the second inning, unraveling after Heim's three-run blast. Couldn't locate. Left pitches over the heart of the plate. Just couldn't pull himself together, grind through it and limit the damage. Finished his day with 82 pitches across 3.0 innings. He's scheduled for one more start (against Tampa) this season, and it needs to be a good one to wash the taste of this one out before a long offseason. 

Nick Robertson: In typical Nick Robertson fashion, he was trotted out as the sacrificial innings-eater after Bello's blowup. The Red Sox were kind-of-sort-of still in it, down only 8-4, but the deficit expanded to 13-4 on his watch, giving up five runs (four earned) on five hits over 2.0 innings. 

John Schreiber: It was very much garbage time, but another shoddy outing for Schreiber as he limps to the finish. Left a slider in the go-zone for the left-handed Evan Carter, who notched Texas' 14th and 15th runs of the game. Schreiber has a 6.76 ERA over his last seven games and a 6.06 ERA over his last 15. Command has noticeably declined down the stretch. 

NOTABLE 

In 17 night starts this season, Bello is 9-5 with a 2.80 ERA, a 26/85 BB/K, a .228 opponent average and 12 home runs allowed over 103.0 innings. In 10 day starts this season, he is 3-5 with a 6.94 ERA, a 17/44 BB/K, a .340 opponent average and 10 home runs allowed.

The Red Sox sit three games below .500 for the first time since April. They are 6-17 over their last 23 games.

Boston allowed a season-high 15 runs this season. They had previously allowed 13 four times this season. It was the third time this month they have allowed 13 or more runs. 

The bullpen has thrown 189 pitches across the last two games.

Nathan Eovaldi was the last Red Sox' starter to give up eight or more earned runs in 3.0 or fewer innings, giving up nine in 2.2 innings against Toronto on July 22 of last season, which matched a career-high. 

With Rafael Devers' fifth-inning error, Boston hit 100 errors on the season. Only the Giants have more. 

Luis Urias exited the game with tightness in his left calf. Alex Cora did not have an update.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Not a good one," Cora told reporters of Bello's outing, before saying he doesn't go with the day-night issues. "When it's your turn to pitch, it's your turn to pitch. ... Some guys they struggle on Thursday, and you know, you gotta pitch on Thursday. He knows what he needs to do before going into his starts before day games. It's a process during the week. Get up earlier. Your weight room stuff, do it earlier. More activation before the start. He's been doing that, but right now the numbers show that [he struggles]. But I don't think he's not a morning person or he's a night person I guess."

UP NEXT

The Red Sox will be off Thursday before returning home for a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox at Fenway. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. LHP Chris Sale (6-4, 4.66 ERA) will face RHP Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.40 ERA).