Tuesday’s 11-6 loss wasn’t pretty. It was the most runs they have given up in a single game all season and it placed another bump in their smooth ride this May.
Still, the team’s confidence should still be good. Though the climb to the top of the division is still ways ahead and got some setback, they are still positioned well overall. Also, last night can be chalked up to one of those hot-and-cold games, as they had more hits than the Red Sox and just couldn’t finish the job for a score. They should be able to do better in the upcoming meetings.
The Rangers’ offense has punched in 130 hits, 16 home runs, and 70 RBIs, while batting a .304 in their last 13 games.
Martin Perez will be drawing the start for the pitching duties. He’s 2-5 with a 3.71 ERA in nine starts this season. The Red Sox’s batters are 15-for-51 against him all-time.
With that blasting win, the Red Sox now have back-to-back explosive performances on the plate. They have scored 23 runs on 27 hits in their last two, along with 19 RBIs.
A good part of it is of course because of their version of the “Killer Bs”(Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Andrew Benintendi). The trio is leading the team in hits while mixing well with the other key batters on the club – Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, and Mitch Moreland. Through those array of deadly hitters, the ‘Sox are batting an efficient .267 collectively, which is good for third in the league.
If that isn’t enough for bad news for the Rangers, the starter on the mound for Wednesday is also a killer. Chris Sale, the ‘Sox’s splashing off-season acquisition, is 4-2 with a 2.19 ERA in his nine starts on the year. He also has an MLB-leading 95 strikeouts this season, 17 more than the guy behind him in the list.
Further, the Rangers’ batters are a woeful 21-for-137 against Sale (.153), including 56 Ks.
