BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – After their first home series win since April, the Boston Red Sox go for a series sweep against the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday evening.
The Red Sox are now 2-8-1 this season in home series and interim manager Chad Tracy knows if Boston is going to climb out of the American League East cellar, it will have to improve its performance at home.
“It’s been a minute (since a home series win) and it feels good,” Tracy said. “It’s no secret. We all know we have to play better at home. We played two really good ball games and now have a chance to go sweep a series. It feels good for the guys for sure.”
While Red Sox fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about at home, Ceddanne Rafaela changed that – for an afternoon anyway – with a clutch, two-run go-ahead single that came with two outs in the seventh to give Boston a 4-2 lead.
The 25-year-old center fielder ranks second on Boston in batting average (.291), doubles (14) and stolen bases (seven).
“Every win matters,” Rafaela said. “Especially at home. I want the fans to be happy, that’s what we are showing up for to try and accomplish.”
With two straight wins, Jarren Duran said Boston has to stay focused as it has the chance to get on a roll. Duran launched a two-run homer in the eighth to provide the Red Sox bullpen with breathing room.
“We are picking it up, which is good,” Duran said. “We just need to put our heads down and keep going.”
Boston starter Connelly Early (5-4, 3.30 ERA) is scheduled to make his first career appearance against the Rangers. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in a 3-1 loss in his last start at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
The Rangers will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 4.26 ERA), who took the loss in a 5-3 setback at the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
In 12 appearances, including 11 starts, against one of his former teams, Eovaldi is 4-1 with a 4.68 ERA. He’s racked up 46 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.
After scoring just four runs in the first two games of the series – a 10-1 loss on Friday and a 6-3 setback on Saturday – Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said his club’s offense has to provide more support for its pitching staff.
“The challenge for us is providing more cushion on the offensive side for our starting pitchers,” Schumaker said.
Jake Burger provided some offense with a solo shot in the eighth, his 100th career home run. Burger leads the Rangers in homers (12) and RBIs (42).
Michael Helman also contributed to the Rangers’ offensive output with an RBI sacrifice fly that tied the game 2-2 in the fourth. But the center fielder, who has 30 at-bats in 15 games, was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the eighth, and after being checked out by the Rangers’ training staff at first base, he exited the game.
“Michael has multiple fractures in at least one finger, if not two,” Schumaker said. “He will be out for a bit, (the pitch) got him pretty good.”
-Field Level Media