Texas Rangers to a 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, avoiding a three-game sweep. “We’re still learning, we’re still growing as a group,” said Cora while addressing the media.
Wyatt Langford blasted a game-tying three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, followed by Jonah Heim's two-run homer in the 10th, leading the Rangers to victory.
“We got to learn from today and get better. We got to keep the ball in the ballpark,” continued the Red Sox manager.
The Rangers overpowering the Red Sox
Dane Dunning and reliever David Robertson allowed a combined seven runs over 5 2/3 innings on Wednesday night. However, the Rangers countered with four home runs, including two from Adolis García and one each from Wyatt Langford and Jonah Heim, to overpower the Red Sox.
Heim launched a homer on Zach Kelly's first pitch, bringing in Ezequiel Duran, who started the inning on second base. In the ninth inning, Langford hit his seventh home run of the season, tying the game after Corey Seager and Josh Smith singled off Josh Winckowski.
The Red Sox capitalized in the eighth inning, scoring three two-out runs off right-hander David Robertson. Yoshida's double set the stage for Connor Wong, who entered as a pinch-runner.
After Devers was intentionally walked, Jansen's single brought Wong across the plate, followed by Gonzalez's double down the left-field line, which drove in both Devers and Jansen.
In a seesaw battle at Fenway Park, where the Rangers were fighting to avoid a sweep by the Red Sox, Jonah Heim, who stepped in as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, delivered the crucial hit—a leadoff, two-run homer in the 10th inning that secured a 9-7 win for Texas.
Alex Cora emphasizing Boston's porous defense
Two major issues threaten the Red Sox’s playoff chances: the bullpen and the defense. These problems turned a potential sweep into a frustrating loss on getaway night.
Presently, the bullpen issues seem more significant than the defensive lapses, which can partly be attributed to youth. “We’ve got to keep the ball in the ballpark,” Alex Cora said.
Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox bullpen has struggled with a 6.91 ERA and allowed 23 home runs over 24 games, contributing to a 10-14 record. In nearly every key category, Boston’s relief pitchers rank last in MLB during this period.
“You know, you can talk about sloppiness [on defense], but we’ve got to keep the ball in the ballpark. We haven't done that since the All-Star break. It’s damage with men on base, damage late in the game. We’ve got to figure that out,” he continued.
As the Red Sox move on a tough road trip against the Orioles and Astros, they find themselves two games behind the Royals for the third American League Wild Card spot.
The team previously added Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz to strengthen their defense for the final stretch of the season.
Additionally, the possible return of shortstop Trevor Story in September could offer a major lift.
The recent struggle of the Red Sox was evident in this game, as their potent offense battled against a porous bullpen and defense.
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