Red Sox recap: Alex Bregman and Wilyer Abreu combine for 3 homers as Boston snaps losing streak in 6-4 win

One night after the Red Sox were shelled by the Rangers in a rainy 6-1 loss at Fenway Park, Boston got huge offensive contributions from Alex Bregman and Wilyer Abreu.

Bregman belted his ninth homer in the fourth inning to cut the Rangers' lead to 2-1. His 200th career blast with one out went 383 feet over the Green Monster seats, striking the Plymouth Rock sign. The Sox’ third baseman went 3-for-4, adding a two-run single into left field in the seventh inning that put Boston ahead 5-3.

Throughout the first 37 games this season, he is hitting .327 with a 1.013 OPS. You have to wonder where the Red Sox would be in the standings without Bregman's bat.

Bregman has six games with multiple extra-base hits this season, with his latest game coming last week against the Twins. He also extended his on-base streak to 19 games, the third-longest active streak in the American League behind Aaron Judge (32) and Randy Arozarena (30).

“I think we needed to stop the bleeding to be honest with you,” Bregman said. “Obviously it’s still super early in the season but a lot of us haven’t played together, it’s our first time playing together, so I feel like we’re figuring out our identity, we’re figuring out what it takes to win baseball games at this level, there’s a certain preparation and a certain execution that needs to be there, not only needs to be there but should be expected.

“Now it’s time to win some baseball games,” he added after the game. “I came here to win, it’s the one thing I’m focused on.”

Abreu collected three big hits in the Red Sox’ 6-4 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. He hit his eighth homer of the year in the fourth, tying the game 2-2. His blast went 422 feet to right-center field, leaving his bat at 106.9 mph, according to Baseball Savant.

In the sixth, he added an RBI double to center to tie the game 3-3. Abreu almost collected a second RBI on the hit after third base coach Kyle Hudson waved Kristian Campbell home to score; instead, he was thrown out, preventing the Sox from taking the lead.

Two innings later, Abreu crushed his second homer of the night in the eighth, making it 6-3.

Abreu recorded his Major League-leading sixth game this season with three RBI or more. Four of those have come in the last 15 games, beginning on April 20, when the Sox played the White Sox. In six games with the Rangers this season, he is 11-for-18 with seven runs, three doubles, four homers, nine RBI, five walks, and a stolen base.

ANOTHER FIRST BASEMAN DOWN?

The Red Sox are lacking depth at first base after losing Tristan Casas for the season due to a left patellar rupture he sustained while running to first base during the series against the Twins.

On Wednesday night, Romy Gonzalez left the game in the sixth inning after he collided with Rangers first baseman Josh Smith.

Gonzalez hit a ground ball to Rangers third baseman Josh Jung, whose errant throw took Smith’s body toward the first base bag. Both the runner and the first baseman collided and immediately fell to the infield dirt.

The umpires initially ruled Gonzalez safe, and Abreu scored from third to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Texas challenged the call, overturning it for the final out of the inning to keep the game tied at 3-3.

After the crash, Gonzalez got up and jogged around, ready to play in the seventh. Instead, Alex Cora called the first baseman back and replaced him with Abraham Toro.

“I was just trying to get to the base and get that run in,” said Gonzalez after the game. “Josh, the guy doesn’t have too much experience over there and he was kind of covering the bag. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt — tough position to play especially when you haven’t played it too much. 

Cora told reporters following the game that Gonzalez's back tightened up and is considered day-to-day. 

“He’s ok, just sore,” Cora said. “The way he landed his back got tight, but I think he’s day-to-day, he should be ok.”

HOUCKAMANIA

Tanner Houck is coming off his best start of the season, where he dominated the Blue Jays over seven innings, allowing just one run off four hits while walking no one and striking out six. Houck had the opportunity to win his first game of the season, but the bullpen was incapable of holding the lead.

Fast-forward to Wednesday night, and Houck once again looked electric, throwing two scoreless frames to open the game. In the third inning, he allowed a leadoff walk and then an opposite-field double to Jung to put runners in scoring position with no outs.

Houck almost worked out of the jam, getting a strikeout and then a comebacker from Wyatt Langford. The righty held the runner at third, and when he fired to retire the runner at first, Gonzalez was unable to catch Houck’s throw to first base.

Langford nearly collided with Gonzalez and missed stepping on the first base bag to avoid the Sox’ fielder. Gonzalez fumbled the ball around and eventually made the play with his foot on the bag.

The play went under review, and the umpires still ruled Langford safe again; as a result, the Sox lost a challenge.

Cora explained why that was the case after the game.

“So the mechanism is he doesn’t step on the bag, Romy needs to get the ball and tag him,” Cora said.

With Langford on first, Corey Seager hit a 112 mph line drive to second, where Campbell knocked the ball down but wasn’t able to cleanly field it and turn an inning-ending double play. He instead flipped the ball to first, and the Rangers went up 1-0.

Houck also allowed a solo blast off of Adolis Garcia's bat. The Rangers slugger hit a towering fly ball down the left field line, and the ball clanked off the left side of the foul pole to put Texas up 2-0.

After the Red Sox tied it in the fourth, the Rangers retook the lead in the fifth after Seager led off with a single that clipped the arm of Houck. He would remain in the game and give up a ground rule double to the struggling Joc Pederson and then a sacrifice fly by Garcia that made it 3-2.

Houck would last just 4 2/3 innings, and he gave up three runs, two earned, off six hits while walking two and striking out two. The right-handed hurler’s velocity was up again in the outing. His sinker averaged two mph higher than it did in his previous outing in Toronto, according to Baseball Savant.

Houck is still looking for his first win of the season.

THROWING GAS

Aroldis Chapman closed out the game in the ninth for his fifth save of the season. The veteran allowed a solo homer over the Monster seats on the first pitch of the inning, off the bat of Jung.

The gas-throwing lefty settled in following the quick homer, twice topping out at 103 mph, including firing a 103.8 mph fastball that broke his record for the fastest pitch by a Red Sox player in the Statcast era.

SERIES FINALE ON THURSDAY

Boston is back to .500 (19-19) and snapped their three-game losing streak. The Sox are 5-5 in their last 10 games. The win on Wednesday night snapped a streak of seven consecutive losses in games decided by three or fewer runs.

The Red Sox and Rangers will play the final game of their three-game series Thursday at 1:35 p.m.

The Rangers will start right-handed pitcher Jack Leiter (2-1, 4.58 ERA) against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello (2-0, 2.55 ERA).