Sox lucky, good in comeback
Rodriguez shaky, but bats rally late for victory
ARLINGTON, Texas — Before last night’s game against the Rangers, Alex Cora talked about how he was encouraged by Andrew Benintendi’s offensive approach despite his lack of home runs.
Benintendi didn’t hit a homer, but he was good enough.
He collected three hits — two lucky ones, plus a decisive triple in the ninth, as the Red Sox came back to beat the Rangers, 6-5.
In a tie game in the ninth, Benintendi jumped on a curveball from Rangers pitcher Keone Kela and hit it 2 feet short of a home run in right-center. The ball ricocheted away from the outfielders, and Benintendi legged out a triple.
Hanley Ramirez then hit a sacrifice fly to center. Delino DeShields didn’t offer much of a throw home, Benintendi easily scored, and the Red Sox held on to win when Craig Kimbrel slammed the door shut in the bottom of the inning.
The game-winning run came after the Red Sox masterfully escaped a one-out, bases -loaded jam in the eighth. After Heath Hembree intentionally walked Nomar Mazara, Cora turned to Joe Kelly, who’s become something of a specialist against lefty hitters.
The right-hander was masterful, blowing away Joey Gallo (who had two home runs) with a 98-mph fastball then winning an 11-pitch battle with Jurickson Profar, which ended with a called strike three.
RED SOX 6 RANGERS 5
The win overshadowed a poor outing by Eduardo Rodriguez, who gave up three home runs and put the Red Sox in a hole.
The lefty flew threw a perfect first inning then struck out Mazara, who had been a thorn in the Red Sox’ side the previous two games, on 10 pitches to start the second. But the next batter, Gallo, took him to task. Rodriguez offered a 2-2 changeup, and Gallo didn’t hesitate, launching it 466 feet to right for a solo home run.
The Red Sox had loaded the bases in the second without anything to show for it, but they got on the board with some dumb luck in the fifth. After Christian Vazquez walked, Mookie Betts hit a sharp grounder to third that went through the legs of Renato Nunez. Vazquez reached third.
Benintendi then hit a chopper up the middle that bounced off the bag at second and over the head of shortstop Profar, allowing Vazquez to score and tie the game.
Rodriguez looked like he had settled down in the fifth before he ran into trouble. He struck out Profar and Nunez to begin the inning, but needing one strike to end the frame, Robinson Chirinos singled to left. Rodriguez then walked Ryan Rua.
That forced Red Sox pitching coach Dana LeVangie to visit Rodriguez, but it didn’t do much good. Rodriguez’ first pitch to DeShields was smoked to left for a three-run home run.
Mitch Moreland got two back the next inning when the former Rangers first baseman blasted a two-run homer to right, but Rodriguez again had trouble with Gallo. His slider hung enough for Gallo to launch it off the scaffolding underneath the second deck in right for his second homer of the night to make it a 5-3 game.
The Sox didn’t wither, and they came back to tie the game. Betts was the catalyst in the seventh.
After he walked, Benintendi lifted a soft blooper to shallow left that tucked inside the foul line. Betts displayed heads-up baserunning by charging to third as Profar ran to scoop it up, then scoring when the shortstop inexplicably held the ball too long.
Benintendi then moved to third as Ramirez grounded out before J.D. Martinez hit an RBI single to center to tie the game.