Four Real? Red Sox vs Rangers 6-5-13

Game 60: They used it all up last night! 3-2 Rangers

You had a feeling that after a large offensive outburst like last night, tonight would be much more somber. Well, the Red Sox gave John Lackey no support and ended up going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position to lose the game 3-2. In fact, Boston only managed 5 hits all game. In comparison to last night, Boston recorded six hits in one inning last night. Yikes. Here are the four at bats that changed the game:

1) Pow-Pow-Power. Top of the fourth inning, and Adrian Beltre is facing Lackey with two outs. Beltre swings at a 1-2 pitch and crushes it to center field. It barely makes it over the fence, but when you see him make contact, that is a no-doubter. 1-0 Rangers.

2)The little engine that could. Bottom of the sixth inning, and pitcher Alexi Ogando has two men out and the bases empty. With Dustin Pedroia up, Ogando looks to keep the ball out of the zone and he throws three straight balls to Pedey. Pedroia has the green light to swing at 3-0 and misses. But on pitch five, Pedroia takes the high strike and slams it very high to left field. The ball carries well and gets over the Green Monster for his fourth homerun of the season. 1-1 tie.

3) Koji can't always get it done. Craig Breslow starts the top of the seventh and it seems like whenever he is pitching, something bad happens. He gives up a leadoff double to Mitch Moreland then walks Craig Gentry. Koji Uehara is then called on to pick up Breslow's mess, but he prompty gives up a double to Elvis Andrus. Andrus crushes a low and inside fastball and puts it in the left center field gap to score both runs and put the Rangers up 3-1.

4) Yum,Salty! Bottom of the eighth inning, and Tanner Scheppers gets two outs then walks Mike Napoli to face Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty fights off a pitch and gets the count to 1-2, then he puts a ball down the right field line to score Napoli all the way from first. 3-2 Rangers

Boston would not get any closer, and then end up dropping this game 3-2 to the Rangers. It was not a pretty game, and Lackey deserves better, but it was the kind of game you would expect from two pitchers with very similar ERAs in the high 2's/low 3s.
Tomorrow, the Rangers send Derek Holland to face Jon Lester at 7:10pm in Boston. The winner takes the series.

Like me? Hate me? Tweet me! @Red33Sox