ARLINGTON – Former Red Sox utility man Brock Holt had a key RBI single to help the Texas Rangers produce a three-run 8th inning to defeat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 on Sunday. The Rangers took 3-of-4 games against the Sox for their first winning series of the season.
Rangers SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered to help Texas win a series against Boston for the first time since 2016. Rangers reliever Josh Sborz (3-1) got three outs for the win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his seventh of seven save opportunities.
Boston’s star SS Xander Bogaerts cracked three hits for Sox, including his fifth homer, as the Red Sox built a 3-1 lead with runs in the second, fourth and seventh innings. The loss marked the AL East-leading Sox’ first lost a series since being swept by Baltimore at Fenway Park to open the season.
“Like I told you guys after we started 0-3, we thought we had a good team,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “And after we won all those games, we still have a good team. We reset tomorrow.”
Bogaerts scored the game’s first run after he reached on a towering popup that second baseman Nick Solak lost in the sun. He advanced to third on Marwin Gonzalez’s double and scampered home on Hunter Renfroe’s grounder to Solak.
Boston starter Garrett Richards struck out seven while pitching five innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits and walked one.
The Red Sox have a day off for travel today and then ace SP Nick Pivetta (3-0, 2.81 ERA), who held the Mets to one hit through five scoreless innings in his previous start, will open a three-game home stand against Detroit at Fenway on Tuesday.