For all intents and purposes, this one seems to be over.
The Red Sox opened up on the Rangers in the eighth inning to the tune of four runs thanks to some big hits from the middle infielders.
First, though, they needed baserunners, and it was Ryan Lavarnway and Jarrod Saltalamacchia who did the honors with a pair of line drives, Saltalamacchia’s ending up in the corner in left for a double. Jacoby Ellsbury took an ill-advised hack on the first pitch he saw to help out the Rangers with a ground out, but Marco Scutaro came through big time behind him, doubling off the very top of the wall in left to extend the lead to five.
Not wanting to pitch to the man that already had two homers on the night, Texas elected to intentionally walk Adrian Gonzalez. Usually this wouldn’t be a controversial decision, but let’s be frank: it’s never a good idea to get up Dustin Pedroia’s ire. The Muddy Chicken—as he is now known—launched a double of his own just south of Scutaro’s, and just like that it was a 7-run game. Alfredo Aceves entered the game and, working around a leadoff walk, sent the game into the ninth with the same.