BOSTON (AP) — Wyatt Langford hit a tying three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and Jonah Heim had a two-run homer in the 10th to lead the Texas Rangers to a 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night, avoiding a three-game sweep.
“Those are huge at-bats,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said of Heim’s and Langford’s homers. “It’s hard to have a bigger home run than that, down three to tie it there. So, good for him. We needed this win in the worst way. You’re always hoping when you have a game like this that it does do a lot for the club.”
Heim’s homer came on the first pitch from Boston reliever Zach Kelly (4-2), scoring automatic runner Ezequiel Duran.
Langford’s seventh homer of the season came off Josh Winckowski, who opened the ninth inning by allowing consecutive singles to Corey Seager and Josh Smith, who scored on Langford’s blast.
“I knew it was a home run off the bat and I watched it just to make sure,” said the rookie Langford. “It was really cool, especially in that situation and for us to end up winning the game, it was really cool.”
Matt Festa (1-1) earned the win, with Kirby Yates recording his 21st save of the season with a scoreless 10th.
Texas, the defending World Series champions, stopped a three-game losing streak and won for just the fifth time in its last 18 games.
The Rangers opened the scoring when Langford, who led off the second inning with a single off Boston starter Tanner Houck, scored on Leody Tavares’ sacrifice fly. The Red Sox got two runs in the bottom of the inning when Danny Jansen drew a walk from Texas starter Dane Dunning, Dominic Smith singled and Jansen scored on Nick Sogard’s groundout. Sogard then scored on a single from David Hamilton.
Boston increased its lead to 4-2 with two runs in the sixth as Wilyer Abreu led off with his 13th homer of the season and pinch hitter Romy Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to score Masataka Yoshida.
Adolis Garcia homered to lead off the sixth and the eighth for Texas, giving him 20 on the season. It was the eighth multi-homer game of his career and the first this season. Garcia’s second homer cut Boston’s lead to 4-3. The Rangers tied it when Langford and Duran reached on consecutive infield singles, with Langford scoring on third baseman Rafael Devers’ fielding error.
“We’re still learning, we’re still growing as a group,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We got to learn from today and get better. We got to keep the ball in the ballpark.”
In the eighth, Boston scored three two-out runs off right-hander David Robertson. Yoshida doubled and Connor Wong entered as a pinch-runner. Devers was issued an intentional walk. Jansen singled, scoring Wong, and Gonzalez’s double down the left-field line scored Devers and Jansen.
Boston leadoff hitter Jarren Duran, this year’s All-Star Game MVP, returned from a two-game suspension and went 1 for 5 with two strikeouts and was caught in the eighth inning trying to advance to second base on a pitch in the dirt. He was suspended after yelling a hom*ophobic slur at a fan during Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros. The suspension snapped Duran’s streak of playing in every game this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi, who left Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the New York Yankees with right side tightness, is expected to make his next start Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. … Manager Bruce Bochy said RHP Max Scherzer, out since July 31 with right shoulder fatigue, received a “nerve injection” but has no timeline to return.
Red Sox: OF Tyler O’Neill, out since Aug. 4 with a leg infection that required two hospitalizations, resumed baseball activities Wednesday. … RHP Liam Hendriks, out all season recovering from Tommy John surgery, threw his third live batting practice on Wednesday. Depending on how Hendriks feels on Thursday, he could begin a rehab assignment this weekend. … 1B Triston Casas, out since April 21 with a left rib strain, played first base and went 0 for 3 in his 10th rehab game for Triple-A Worcester. Manager Alex Cora said there was no plan “as of now” to activate Casas for the weekend series in Baltimore. ... LHP Cam Booser was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. LHP Brennan Bernardino was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take his place on the roster.
UP NEXT
Texas returns home for the start of a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. LHP Cody Bradford (4-0, 3.60 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rangers, opposed by RHP Bailey Ober (12-5, 3.52).
The Red Sox open a four-game series at the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. RHP Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.44) will be opposed by RHP Zach Eflin (8-7, 3.83).
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