G59: Red Sox 17, Rangers 5

Rangers - 000 201 020 -  5  9  2
Red Sox - 261 114 20x - 17 19  0

The Red Sox narrowly missed becoming only the seventh* team in American League history to score in all eight innings of a home game. They failed to score in the eighth inning against left fielder David Murphy, who allowed a leadoff double to Daniel Nava, and then retired the next three hitters. (No AL team has ever scored in all nine innings of a game.)

*: Boston did score in all eight innings on September 16, 1903. That was part of a streak of scoring in 17 consecutive innings!

In the words of NESN's Dennis Eckersley (when the game was over, thinking his mic was off): "We gotta recap this shit?"

The highlights: Jackie Bradley hit his first major league home run in the second inning. David Ortiz doubled and tripled in his first two at-bats. Daniel Nava had three hits and scored four runs. Stephen Drew had four hits and scored three runs. The Red Sox led off three consecutive innings with a home run: Drew in the fourth, Mike Carp in the fifth, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the sixth. Ryan Dempster (7-5-3-1-6, 107) turned in his second straight solid start. Red Sox batters saw 190 pitches in eight innings!

Justin Grimm / Ryan Dempster

Nava, RF
Carp, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Saltalamacchia, C
Drew, SS
Iglesias, 3B
Bradley, CF

The Rangers (35-21) have the best record in the American League. The Red Sox (35-23) are second-best; they lead the Orioles and Yankees by 2.5 games.

Grimm (3.93 ERA in nine starts) is excited to be pitching in Boston:

It's going to be pretty cool to pitch at Fenway. I'm expecting a good crowd. I'm expecting to show up ready to go, ready to compete and be aggressive with them, and go after it. If I do that, it's going to be a good game.

The Rangers lead the AL with a 3.38 team ERA. Boston is tied for second with the Tigers at 3.72.