Red Sox 7, Rangers 2
Red Sox 7, Rangers 2
- Disappointment.
- I guess if you’re only going to have three hits in the game, two of them being homers is pretty good. Though it is undermined by the “only getting three hits” part.
- Oh, and the Rangers only drew one walk in the game. That’s a problem. Particularly when combined with the “only three hits” part.
- Maybe the Rangers could have eked out a win somehow despite the problematic offensive performance if they got exceptional pitching, but that didn’t happen. Nathan Eovaldi’s command wasn’t as sharp as he would have liked, and he actually issued a walk in the game, the first walk he has issued since June.
- He also gave up some hard hit balls, including a pair of homers. Eovaldi also struggled to put Red Sox batters away. Boston had 24 foul balls off of Eovaldi in 99 pitches, only the ninth time this season a Ranger pitcher has given up that many foul balls in a game. The combination meant that Bruce Bochy ended up pulling Eovaldi after five innings and two batters.
- Given the number of innings the Rangers pen was asked to throw the previous two games, including all three of the multi-inning guys being used, the Rangers needed Eovaldi to go as deep as possible. With Eovaldi getting knocked out in the fifth, Bochy turned to the just-acquired and just-promoted Walter Pennington.
- Pennington, facing Wilyer Abreu, missed the zone with three straight sliders. After a fastball for a called strike, he threw another poorly located slider, this one up, and it was crushed for a three run homer.
- That pretty much ended things. The Rangers got one baserunner after that, on a Josh Jung double. The offense, which came to life the previous couple of games, disappeared once again.
- What a baffling team this is.
- Nathan Eovaldi hit 97.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.2 mph. Walter Pennington hit 93.3 mph with his sinker. Brock Burke touched 97.6 mph with his fastball. Gerson Garabito reached 94.7 mph with his fastball.
- Corey Seager had a 105.4 mph line out and a 103.2 mph home run. Josh Jung had a 103.1 mph home run. Ezequiel Duran had a 102.8 mph E5. Josh Smith had a 100.4 mph fly out. Marcus Semien had a 100.3 mph fly out.
- Well, here comes Houston for three. Hold on to your butts. Or don’t.