Kike Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts, and Alex Verdugo each had two RBI Friday night backing the second start of Chris Sale, as the Boston Red Sox opened up a three game series and broke a three game losing streak with a 6-0 victory over the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
Bogaerts had an RBI single to score Hernandez in the bottom of the first inning, and that is all Boston (70-54) would need. Hernandez made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the second. Bogaerts hit a solo homerun down the left field line into the second row of the monster seats in the fifth, and Verdugo slapped a two-run double off the monster also in the same frame to make a winner out of Sale (2-0). The big left hander, in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, allowed no runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Hansel Robles, Austin Davis, Hirokazu Sawumara, and Matt Barnes combined to only allow two hits and struckout six with 1.0 inning each out of the bullpen. Hernandez, Bogaerts, and Kyle Schwarber each had two hits. Andy Ibanez had two hits for Texas (42-80), and Dane Dunning (5-8) allowed five runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings to take the loss on the hill.
Game two is set for Saturday night at 7:10 p.m., with Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6, 4.97 ERA) set to start for Boston while Jordan Lyles (5-10, 5.55) goes for Texas. Lyles has allowed the second most homeruns this season in the majors, 31 in 131.1 innings pitched. His teammate Mike Foltynewicz has allowed a league leading 34 in 130 innings.
