Trevor Story went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and a double as the Boston Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers with Sunday afternoon’s 5-2 win.
Story’s 16th homer of the season was the big blow in a four-run first inning for Boston, which has won five straight games.
Xander Bogaerts also went 3-for-4, doubled, scored a run and drove in two more, while Alex Verdugo and Rob Refsnyder each had two more of the 12 Red Sox hits. Verdugo also scored a run.
Boston’s Josh Winckowski worked four innings of three-hit, two-run ball while pitching in place of Kutter Crawford, who was scratched from his start and placed on the 15-day injured list (right shoulder impingement) prior to the game.
After Winckowski departed, the bullpen combination of Kaleb Ort, Jeurys Familia, Matt Strahm and John Schreiber allowed just one hit and one walk over the final five frames.
Ort (1-1) won in immediate relief of the starter, allowing one hit and one walk over 1 2/3 innings. Schreiber picked up his seventh save and second in as many days.
Texas was held to just four hits and lost its eighth straight despite taking a 2-0 lead. Leody Tavares went 2-for-3.
Rangers starter Dane Dunning (3-8) was charged with five runs on eight hits in four innings in his second straight loss. Prior to the back-to-back setbacks, Dunning hadn’t lost since June 29.
The Rangers took their first lead since Thursday, scoring a pair of runs against Winckowski in the first inning. Adolis Garcia hit a ground-rule double to right before Jonah Heim’s RBI groundout made it a 2-0 game.
Boston wasted little time responding as Tommy Pham and Verdugo started the opening frame with singles and Bogaerts cut the deficit to 2-1 with a double that bounced into the bullpen.
After Dunning recorded the first out of the inning, Story lifted the Red Sox with a three-run homer over the Green Monster.
Winckowski worked a 1-2-3 second inning, capped off by one of his three strikeouts, and allowed just one total hit — a Tavares one-out single in the fourth — across his final three frames.
In the second, Bogaerts made it a 5-2 lead for Boston with his second RBI in as many innings. His line single to right plated Wong, who drew a leadoff walk.
Triston Casas, who made his MLB debut as Boston’s first baseman, singled in the fifth inning for his first career hit.
–Field Level Media
