For those who weren't too traumatized by last night's game to watch today's, it's time for the Red Sox and Rangers to play the second and final game of their short series.
If the Sox can turn things around and come up with a win, then as bad as Tuesday was, it all counts the same in the book: 1-1, another series if not won at least not lost. And with the Yankees coming up, having some sort of momentum can mean a great deal.
But this is all based on a pretty big "if." If not, then they've once again dropped three straight. And if they do it in the same fashion, then we should probably rename this as "The Slow Decline of a Red Sox Fan into Insanity."
We'll keep you up-to-date as the Sox go for 5-7 with Josh Beckett on the mound.
Rangers 6, Red Sox 3, Final -- The Sox made a run at it, but came away with the worst of luck as Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit and absolute screamer directly to Brandon Snyder at first with runners on the corners, allowing Snyder to double up Ryan Sweeney, who had just driven in the Sox' third run with a clutch single.
4-8. Not much more to say than that...
Rangers 6, Red Sox 2, Mid 9th -- The good news is that Matt Albers did well in the top of the ninth. The bad news it that it's still 6-2, because he can't score runs for us.
Rangers 6, Red Sox 2, End 8th -- The Sox look like they've packed it in for tonight. The top of the lineup goes down without a fight--it's been a really terrible day for Adrian Gonzalez--and Albers is headed back out for the ninth. If this means 4-8, as it likely does, then Boston is two games up on where they were last year.
So there's that.
Rangers 6, Red Sox 2, Mid 8th -- Heartbreak, thy name is Napoli. And Morales, for that matter. The one reliever who actually seemed ready to provide the eighth inning rock came in the game and quickly coughed up the game. After getting Elvis Andrus for the first out, Morales allowed a single to Josh Hamilton, and after a passed ball moved Hamilton along, elected to walk Adrian Beltre.The walk to Nelson Cruz which loaded the bases was of the unintentional variety, as was the curveball to Craig Gentry's foot after the pinch-hitter had fought off three straight 0-2 pitches.
The real death blow, however, came from who else but Mike Napoli. Shooting a double to left-center, Napoli plated two more runs and left the Red Sox staring up at a four-run deficit when all was said and done.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, End 7th -- In a luckier year, the Sox might not have had Jason Repko due at the plate with two outs and the tying run at second base. And, if they did, they may have had a better bat on the bench than Nick Punto to take his spot.
Unfortunately, this is an unlucky year. Their two best outfielders (Carl Crawford's struggles notwithstanding) are out of action, and so their best option against left-handed Derek Holland was Punto after all. To nobody's great surprise, Punto struck out, and the threat came to an end.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 7th -- Josh Beckett delivers another clean inning, and while the Sox haven't managed to take the lead back, he's not only kept them in it but kept the beleaguered Boston bullpen from needing to provide any excessive innings. With just two innings to go, if Boston can grab the lead, they'll be able to go to their prefered due of Fr
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, End 6th -- Nothing doing for the Red Sox in the sixth, and it's really looking like it's not Adrian Gonzalez' day at this point--though all that could change once the lefty is out of the game. For now though, however, the Sox are running out of time.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 6th -- Now Beckett's really on a roll, striking out Nelson Cruz to start the sixth and getting David Murphy and Mike Napoli to make it six straight retired. That Mike Napoli didn't hurt the Red Sox is nothing short of a small miracle.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, End 5th -- The Sox threatened in the fifth, but couldn't push that crucial run across. Once again getting a leadoff baserunner--this time from Kelly Shoppach--the Sox couldn't move him along until they were on their last out of the inning. Darnell McDonald almost seemed to have a crucial hit, but had his liner stay up just long enough for Josh Hamilton to make a lunging grab in center, and Jason Repko didn't threaten at all with a popup. Mike Aviles would, astonishingly, draw his second walk of the game to move Shoppach into scoring position, but Dustin Pedroia fell behind 0-2 and popped up himself to end the inning.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 5th -- Josh Beckett earned three quick outs in the top of the fifth against some of the best hitters in the game, settling down and perhaps quelling fears that we would be in for another beatdown after his rough fourth.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, End 4th -- Derrek Holland throws ten pitches, and the heart of Boston's lineup goes down in order. Once the lefty is out of the game, the Sox will have to deal with some rough platoon splits, so they'll want to get working sooner, rather than later.
Rangers 3, Red Sox 2, Mid 4th -- New rule: if the Sox hit a two-run shot, they must then in turn allow one. To be more specific: they must allow one to Mike Napoli. Why do they pitch to him again? Josh Beckett's fastball just seems a bit flat out there, and with Ian Kinsler just missing one to end the inning, Beckett is perhaps lucky to be heading back to the inning down just one.
Rangers 1, Red Sox 2, End 3rd -- Mike Aviles once again reaches base to lead off the inning, but can't manage the steal this time, being picked off in the act, leading to a quick 1-2-3 for Holland.
Rangers 1, Red Sox 2, Mid 3rd -- A spot of trouble for the Red Sox' Josh Beckett in the third gets the Rangers on the board. While Beckett would strike out the first batter he faced in Brandon Snyder and get ahead of Ian Kinsler 0-2, the Rangers second baseman managed to lay off a number of good pitches and draw a walk. With Elvis Andrus taking him to the wall on a 2-1 cutter, the Rangers could have had the Boston starter in a great deal of trouble, but Darnell McDonald played the ball off the wall with aplomb and fired to second, gunning down Andrus as he tried to stretch it into a double.
The Sox seemed like they were out of it when Josh Hamilton managed only a bouncing ground ball, but with the ball placed well up the middle, Dustin Pedroia could make only the diving stop, throwing to first too late for the out and letting Kinsler come in from third.
Rangers 0, Red Sox 2, End 2nd -- The Red Sox are once again off to an early lead against the Rangers, though we saw last night how tricky that can be to hold on to.
David Ortiz continued to show lefties that he's not fooled by them any longer, leading off the inning by going to the opposite field for a double, bringing Kevin Youkilis up to the plate. It's been a tough start for Youkilis in every way, and yesterday was no different, with the Sox' third baseman going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in every at bat, but today has started very different. Falling behind 2-0, Derek Holland battled back to even the count at 2-2, but his next sinker didn't fool Youk, who sent a moonshot over the Monster in left-center for the two-run shot.
Rangers 0, Red Sox 0, Mid 2nd -- Another inning, and still no runs for the Rangers! Despite a Mike Napoli ground ball bouncing through the left side of the infield, Josh Beckett managed to induce some weak fly balls to get out of the inning unscathed.
Rangers 0, Red Sox 0, End 1st -- A wasted leadoff baserunner for the Red Sox, who saw Mike Aviles reach on a walk and then steal second before an out was recorded. Dustin Pedroia managed to put the ball in play, moving Aviles along to third, but Adrian Gonzalez went swinging at a terrible pitch for a strikeout, and Cody Ross followed suit albeit looking to end the inning.
Rangers 0, Red Sox 0, Mid 1st -- The Red Sox are through the first inning without giving up a run! Huzzah! Josh Beckett struck out leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler to keep his streak of games with at least one strikeout intact, survived a long fly ball from Ian Kinsler, and while Josh Hamilton was able to reach across the plate and provide a good piece of hitting for a single, Adrian Beltre hit a routine ground ball to Kevin Youkilis for the third out.
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