Texas @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 20, 2010 ) Texas 6, Boston 7
With five consecutive losses, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington’s seat is getting hotter.
Already mired in a public, spring training confession of using an illegal drug in the first-half of last year, Washington needed his team to get off to a strong start. So far, that hasn’t been the case.
The Rangers have started their opening nine-game road trip with an unremarkable 2-5 record, the latest loss coming in a 7-6 defeat to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Texas will face Boston in the second game of their three-game set on Wednesday, and a win could go a long way in limiting the questions regarding Washington’s job security when the team returns home on Friday.
Rangers left-hander Matt Harrison is scheduled to face Red Sox ace Josh Beckett.
Harrison has pitched well despite not earning a victory this season. He had a 2-0 lead going into the eighth inning in his last start against the Cleveland Indians, but then was hurt by two costly fielding errors by Michael Young and Elvis Andrus. After those errors, Harrison had his own mishap, giving up a three-run home run to Shin-Soo Choo. With that, the Indians pulled out a victory.
The hurler has also faced the Red Sox once in 2008, allowing four runs in six innings in a 15-8 victory for the Rangers.
The Texas bullpen has also struggled mightily this season. The latest example came on Tuesday, when Rangers relievers couldn’t keep a 6-2 lead. In particular, they gave up a two-run home run and game-winning single to Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald, who was called up from Triple-A earlier in the day.
That late-inning meltdown ruined what would have been a memorable game for the Rangers, who stole a franchise-record nine bases.
While the Rangers might have felt they let one slip away, the Red Sox obviously view in a more positive light.
Going into Tuesday’s game, Boston was on its own five-game losing streak and never held a lead during that stretch.
The Red Sox didn’t lead until the ninth inning on Tuesday, but they didn’t care. Even though the star of the game was an unknown minor leaguer, McDonald, it was a much-needed victory and could jumpstart the rest of the season for the Red Sox in the ultra-competitive AL East.
Boston heads into Wednesday's contest feeling confident with Beckett on the mound. In five career starts against Texas, Beckett is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA.