Field Level Media
Jun 10, 2019
Elvis Andrus hit a tiebreaking single in the 11th inning as the visiting Texas Rangers rallied past the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Monday to kick off a four-game series.
Andrus' game-winner drove in Danny Santana, who began the frame with his fourth hit of the game, a double. Jesse Chavez (2-1) escaped a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the 10th to get the win for Texas, and Chris Martin pitched a perfect bottom of the 11th for his second save.
Ryan Brasier (2-3) took the loss for Boston.
The Rangers trailed 2-1 entering the ninth inning before Nomar Mazara hit a two-run single off Matt Barnes for a 3-2 edge. But the Red Sox came right back in the bottom of the frame against Shawn Kelley.
Kelley gave up two singles before getting Rafael Devers to ground into a double play when Xander Bogaerts got tagged out running the bases. Brock Holt then came through with a pinch-hit RBI single, however, to knot the score, 3-3.
Holt was thrown at home trying to score on a Marco Hernandez double to end the ninth.
Before the ninth, the game was cruising along, courtesy of a pitching duel between Boston's Chris Sale and Texas' Mike Minor.
Sale went seven innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and one walk while punching out 10. Minor surrendered two runs on four hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out six.
The Red Sox got both runs off Minor in the first inning, when Andrew Benintendi homered to center to drive in Mookie Betts, who led off with a walk.
The Rangers, meanwhile, took longer to figure out Sale. Texas did not reach base against him until Santana doubled with one out in the fourth.
It wasn't until the sixth, when Santana drove in Rougned Odor with a two-out RBI single, that the Rangers got on the board to make it 2-1.
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez returned from a four-game absence caused to back spasms. He went 2-for-3 with a walk.
Prior to the game, the Red Sox held a moment of reflection for former designated hitter David Ortiz, who was shot in the back in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Ortiz was said to be in stable condition and was transported back to Boston for further treatment.
--Field Level Media