Trevor Story's three-run homer lifts Red Sox past Rangers, 4-3, avoiding sweep

The Red Sox were six outs away from being swept out of Texas with an offense that had done almost nothing for three nights.

Then Trevor Story came home and changed everything for the Red Sox with one swing of the bat. 

Story, who grew up roughly 15 miles from Globe Life Field in Irving, Texas, crushed a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning Thursday night, lifting the Red Sox to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Rangers.

“Good teams find a way to win and we’ve been doing that in the second half and that’s kind of who you become,” Story said after the game. “And you feel that momentum, you feel that vibe around the game and we never give up.”

The victory allowed Boston (83-70) to salvage the finale of a frustrating three-game series and reduced its postseason magic number to three with nine games remaining.

But the biggest swing of Story’s season came moments after a potentially significant injury to Willson Contreras, who was hit on the right hand by a pitch and left the game in considerable pain. Initial X-rays were negative, according to interim manager Chad Tracy.

“He’s got a bruise on the hand and some swelling,” Tracy said. “We’ll take it day-to-day and see how he is. It got him on the top of the hand as he turned through on his right hand.”

Until the eighth, Boston’s offense appeared headed toward another forgettable night.

The Red Sox had scored just six runs over the first 25 innings of the series and entered the eighth Thursday 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while leaving seven on base.

Wilyer Abreu started the rally by drawing a walk against Jakob Junis. Contreras then checked his swing at a 92.3 mph sinker that struck him on the right hand.

Contreras immediately shook his hand in pain and slowly made his way to first. Once there, with Abreu checking on him, Contreras crouched down as Tracy and the athletic trainer came out to examine him.

“Sore. Painful,” Contreras said, describing his injury. “My hand was numb for like five minutes. That was the reason I came out of the game. I have fractured, before, the same hand. It felt like a fracture. Thankfully, it’s not a fracture on the top of the bone. I’m just frustrated.”

He was removed for pinch-runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Contreras said afterward that the initial pain “felt like a fracture,” making the negative X-rays an encouraging first development. His status remains one to watch closely with the postseason approaching.

“He was trying to pitch inside like everybody else,” Contreras said. “A lot of people might say that I hit on top of the plate but I’m seeing a lot of players who hit on top of the plate that don’t get hit like me. If nobody does anything about it, I’m gonna keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it.”

Contreras is unsure whether he’ll be in the Sox’ lineup on Friday night down in St. Pete. 

“It’s really frustrating because I just came off the IL,” Contreras said. “I missed my 10 days. Sore bones in the hands, it might take two days, might take a week, might take 10 days. We’ll know how I feel after taking this plane to Tampa.”

With Contreras down, the Sox needed someone else in their lineup to step up late in the game. 

All-Star closer Jacob Latz took over and, with one out, got Story into a 2-2 count. Latz dropped a curveball near the bottom of the strike zone, but Story stayed back and unloaded.

His three-run homer left the bat at 108.2 mph and traveled 394 feet into the left-field seats, instantly turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead.

“A huge swing,” Tracy said. “We obviously needed a win. All the credit to him ... That was a hell of an at-bat against a really good pitcher in a really big spot.”

It was Story’s first home run since returning from the injured list and provided some redemption after he struck out with runners on second and third to end the sixth.

“You see one of our guys keeled over holding his hand and you’re down in the dumps seeing that,” Tracy said. “Moments later, the whole dugout erupts. We hadn’t been doing much offensively for a few days and to get a swing right there and feel like you steal a game, it was enormous.”

The blast also completely changed the complexion of a night when Boston’s offensive struggles had continued even against a Texas bullpen game.

The Rangers used Tyler Alexander, Cody Bradford, Chase Silseth, Robby Ahlstrom and Junis before turning to Latz. Adley Rutschman’s ground-rule double in the sixth was Boston’s only extra-base hit before Story went deep.

One particularly ugly stretch came in the second when Bradford, a left-hander with a 4.72 ERA whose fastball topped out at 90.5 mph, struck out Rutschman, Story and Jarren Duran on 11 pitches, 10 for strikes.

Boston finally broke through in the seventh after Ahlstrom walked the first two batters. Nick Sogard drove a ball 407 feet that was caught at the wall before Roman Anthony brought home Boston’s first run on a fielder’s choice. Junis then entered and got Mickey Gasper to roll a soft grounder to first to end the threat.

The comeback also rewarded Sonny Gray for keeping Boston within striking distance after a difficult start.

Josh Jung put Texas ahead with a two-out, opposite-field solo homer in the first. Gray then walked Wyatt Langford and Jake Burger to begin the second before Nicky Lopez moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Danny Jansen dropped an RBI single into the outfield before Evan Carter executed a squeeze bunt, quickly putting Boston in a 3-0 hole.

After Texas scored its third, Gray retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced. His night ended after a 13-pitch walk to Lopez with one out in the seventh.

Gray was charged with three runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking three while throwing a season-high 102 pitches in what should be his second-to-last start before the postseason.

“I thought he was awesome,” Tracy said. “The only blemish was the two walks, we kind of walked ourselves into the part of their lineup where they can play baseball a little bit with bunts and they drop a flare into center and there’s a safety squeeze, outside of that, that was a really, really good effort.”

Jung’s homer was only the 16th Gray has surrendered this season, and 14 have been solo shots.

With Boston suddenly holding a lead, Tracy had to navigate the final innings without his closer.

Wyatt Olds replaced Gray and recorded the final two outs of the seventh before returning for the eighth. Tracy then summoned fellow rookie Alec Gamboa to face left-handed slugger Corey Seager.

Seager singled, but Gamboa escaped by inducing an inning-ending double play.

“They were awesome,” Tracy said of the younger relievers stepping up later in the game. “Getting thrust into a big spot, going back out anyways, and then all of the sudden you’re going out with a lead. They did an amazing job.”

Garrett Whitlock, not Aroldis Chapman, emerged for the ninth.

Whitlock then recorded his fourth save of the year, needing just 12 pitches and getting a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

“He’s great,” Tracy said of Whitlock. “He’s reliable. He’s done it before if Chappy’s down.”

Chapman has not pitched since Saturday and is dealing with lat tightness, Tracy revealed after the game.

“He’s just dealing with some lat tightness we’re going to be conservative with,” Tracy said. “It’s getting better, but we’ve got to make sure it gets there. That’s why he wasn’t available tonight.”

Tracy said Chapman has been dealing with the issue for “a couple of days” and remains day-to-day. Asked about the possibility of an injured list stint, Tracy said, “We’re not doing that right now.”

“We’re just going to keep monitoring it and see where he’s at each day,” Tracy said. “Obviously, you know how diligent he is about his prep and getting in and getting treatment, so we’re just monitoring day-to-day.”

Chapman has 34 saves with a 1.95 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 50 2/3 innings this season.

Boston and Texas finished their season series tied, 3-3, but the Red Sox left Arlington with a six-game advantage over the Rangers.

“To steal that last one is huge,” Story told NESN’s Jahmai Webster postgame. “It’s momentum we can ride out into Tampa.”

More importantly, instead of boarding their flight to Tampa Bay after a sweep and another lifeless offensive performance, the Red Sox left Texas with their magic number down to three.

“It was big,” said Gray after the game to reporters in the clubhouse. “They’re fighting for their lives over there and they’re playing well. It’s good for us to experience that, for sure. But I do think it’s important for us, for the next — what do we have, three series left? — to maybe come out with a little bit more... a little bit more... I’ll come up with that word later, but a little bit more of: You want to be playing well at the end of the season. You don’t want to feel like you just get into this thing. Tonight was a good step in that direction.”

Boston opens a three-game series against the first-place Rays on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Ranger Suarez (7-4, 3.33 ERA) will face left-hander Ian Seymour (9-6, 4.27 ERA).