Rangers - 000 100 200 - 3 7 0 Red Sox - 000 001 010 - 2 5 0Elvis Andrus's two-run double off Koji Uehara snapped a 1-1 tie, and relievers Tanner Scheppers and Joe Nathan held the line.
It was, for me, an extremely infuriating game, marked by one obvious blown call at second base that aborted a Boston rally before it could truly begin, and numerous missed pitches by home plate umpire Rob Drake. Red Sox batters also failed to capitalize with runners at second and/or third.
Stephen Drew opened the third with a shot into the gap in left-center and slid safely into second with a double, but he was called out by Sam Holbrook. It was questionable whether Texas second baseman Jurickson Profar even tagged Drew at all, let alone before drew got his hand on the bag.
In the fourth, the Red Sox had runners at first and second with one out, and second and third with two outs, and could not score, as David Ortiz and Mike Napoli both struck out. After Dustin Pedroia hit a solo home run in the sixth, Ortiz and Napoli walked, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia whiffed to end the inning. In the seventh, Drew walked and Jose Iglesias singled - but the next three batters were quickly retired.
With two down in the eighth, Napoli walked and Salty doubled him home. With the potential tying run at second, Drew grounded to second. Nathan retired the side in order in the ninth on six pitches.
A blown call by 1B umpire Joe West helped the Rangers snap a 1-1 tie in the seventh. Mitch Moreland hurt himself running to second on a leadoff double off Craig Breslow and was replaced by Jeff Baker. Profar laid down a bunt, but Baker (for some unknown reason) did not run to third! Pinch-hitter Craig Gentry tried checking his swing on an 0-2 pitch. He clearly went around, but West said there was no swing. Gentry eventually walked - ending Breslow's evening - and Andrus promptly hit his two-run double on Uehara's first pitch.
Lackey (6-5-1-0-5, 108) pitched well, retiring 11 of his first 12 batters and giving up only a solo shot to dead center to Adrian Beltre.
Nava, RF
Carp, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Saltalamacchia, C
Drew, SS
Iglesias, 3B
Bradley, CF
2 comments:
Bad news for Slappy McBluelips.
Still no Ellsbury?
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