G67: Rangers 4, Red Sox 3 (11)

Rangers - 000 001 002 01 - 4  8  0
Red Sox - 200 000 001 00 - 3  9  2

The Rangers, down to their final two outs, rallied to grab the lead in the ninth against Matt Barnes and then scored a quick run off Ryan Brasier in the eleventh. The Red Sox wasted another great start from Chris Sale (7-3-1-1-10, 99), who allowed zero earned runs.

Andrew Benintendi gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead with his seventh home run of the year, but for seven innings after that, Boston did next to nothing against Mike Minor (8-4-2-2-6, 109), though they did have a runner at third base with one out in both the third and fifth innings. Three singles and a double in the bottom of the ninth produced only one run (an important run, though, as it tied the game) and the Red Sox then left the bases loaded in the tenth before going down meekly in order in the eleventh.

The Rays beat the Athletics 6-2, to move one-half game ahead of the Yankees (who were rained out) and eight games ahead of the Red Sox.

NL: Arizona and Philadelphia combined to hit 13 home runs and set a new major league record. The visiting Diamondbacks won 13-8.

Mike Minor / Chris Sale

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Travis, LF
Núñez, 3B
Bradley, CF
León, C

For the last four weekends, the Red Sox have played a top AL team (Astros, Astros, Yankees, Rays) and they have lost each series, winning only four of 13 games.

Sean McAdam, Boston Sports Journal:

There's no getting around it or ignoring the obvious: as the Red Sox creep closer and closer to the halfway point in the regular schedule, they might be wild-card contenders, but they're no match for the teams ahead of them — in their own division, or elsewhere in the league. ...

[The Red Sox scored 23 runs in a three-game sweep of the Royals. But] Matched against the likes of the Astros, Yankees or Rays, however, and it's a different story. The margin for error is slighter. Make a mistake against the Royals and they're likely to make two or three of their own. Make one against division leaders, however, and it's very likely to cost you the game.

Alex Cora:

We've gotta keep working. We've been saying all along, we've gotta be better with men in scoring position, executing out of the bullpen. Everything.

Note: The starting time of Wednesday's game has been moved up three hours, to 4:05 PM, so fans can watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (Bruins/Blues) at 8 PM.

AL East: Mets/MFY & Athletics/Rays, 7 PM.