On a night where the pitching wasn’t perfect, the Boston Red Sox leaned on their powerful offense to pound out 12 hits, including seven for extra bases Tuesday night and pick up their eighth straight win with an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
Boston hit six doubles in the game, and turned a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead by scoring five runs in the home half of the third inning. The Sox hit three doubles and a triple in that decisive inning and never looked back, now 35 games over .500 at 64-29. Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Blake Swihart, and Jackie Bradley Jr. all had two hits a piece. Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, Xander Boegarts, and Bradley Jr. all had two RBI each. Benintendi since last Friday has reached base in 15 of his last 20 at bats, as he tries to get in on the final fans vote for next Tuesdays All Star game in Washington with the winner of that voting to be announced Wednesday. Joey Gallo had a pair of RBI for the visitors from Texas (40-53), while Rougned Odor hit a solo homer.
Hector Valazquez started his fourth game of the season for Boston in a spot situation and went the first three innings, allowing one run, two hits, two walks, with two strikeouts. Jalen Beeks went the next 2.1 innings in his second ever appearance, allowing three runs, four hits, one walk, with one strikeout. The bullpen once again did the job over the final 3.2 innings, allowing no runs, and just one hit between Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly, and Ryan Brasier. Barnes got the win to improve to 3-2. Coupled with a New York Yankee loss, the Sox now stretch the AL East Division lead to 3.5 games.
Boston goes for their third straight sweep Wednesday night at 7:10. The Sox send their ace to the bump in Chris Sale (9-4), to be opposed by veteran righty Bartolo Colon (5-6).
