Boston @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 13, 2019 ) Texas 6, Boston 7

The Boston Red Sox may be able to point to a number of areas as to why they won't get a chance to defend their World Series title this season, but a lack of success away from home won't be one of them. The Red Sox begin their final road series of the season Tuesday when they visit Texas for the first of three games against the Rangers.

Boston began its seven-game trek by dropping three of four in Tampa Bay, although each of the first two games were decided in walk-off fashion in 11 innings and Monday's series finale turned into a 7-4 loss after the Red Sox were unable to hold an early four-run lead. Despite the setback, Boston still owns one of the best road records in the majors at 44-34, going 41-24 over its last 65 road contests after dropping 10 of its first 13 such games to begin the season. Texas (75-81) needs to win out in order to avoid a third consecutive losing season, which would be an unlikely feat considering it ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday with an 8-3 win over Oakland. The Rangers belted five home runs to get their offense back on track after totaling seven runs over their previous five contests.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), FS Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6, 3.53 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Ariel Jurado (7-10, 5.73)

Rodriguez enjoyed another stellar outing Thursday against San Francisco, allowing one unearned run while fanning 10 over six innings. The 26-year-old, who needs to win his final two starts to become Boston's first 20-game winner since Rick Porcello won 22 during his 2016 Cy Young campaign, is 5-1 with a 1.00 ERA in his last seven starts. Rodriguez is 9-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 14 turns since the All-Star break and 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three career starts against Texas.

Making what will likely be the final appearance of his 14-year career after announcing his intention to retire earlier in the season, Edinson Volquez (0-1, 5.02 ERA) is expected to make his eighth appearance of September and open for the second time this month. Jurado, who will follow, worked a perfect inning of relief in Oakland on Friday but was pounded him for six runs across 1 2/3 frames against Tampa Bay in his previous outing on Sept. 11. He threw six innings of three-run ball in a win on June 11 at Fenway Park in his only career start against Boston.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Red Sox are one home run shy of tying their club record (238 in 2003).

2. Texas SS Elvis Andrus homered Monday and has 38 in all since the start of the 2017 season. Over the first eight years of his career, he hit a total of 35.

3. Boston DH J.D. Martinez's run-scoring single Monday allowed him to become only the ninth player in team history to amass 35 homers and 100 RBIs in multiple seasons.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 7, Rangers 2