Rangers at Red Sox
The Texas Rangers have plowed their way into an American League wild-card position by winning 11 of their last 15 contests, and they look to push the Red Sox further behind when the teams meet in Boston on Wednesday for the third contest of their four-game series. Hunter Pence belted a two-run, inside-the-park homer in Tuesday's 9-5 victory after the Rangers pulled out a 4-3 triumph in 11 innings in the series opener.
Asdrubal Cabrera, a .290 lifetime hitter against the Red Sox, and Ronald Guzman each recorded two RBIs in the latest win for a Texas team that has totaled 34 runs over its last five contests to move three games up on Boston for the second wild card. Lance Lynn hopes to continue his strong run when he takes the mound for the Rangers on Wednesday while the Red Sox counter with Rick Porcello in a matchup that was moved to the late afternoon due to Game 7 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final being played in Boston on Wednesday evening. The Red Sox won four in a row before losing five of their last six contests, and emotions boiled over on Tuesday as manager Alex Cora and left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end, were ejected in the fifth inning. Boston's Mookie Betts is 5-for-15 during a four-game hitting streak and is a .328 career hitter against the Rangers while J.D. Martinez has gone 5-for-9 over his last three contests.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Southwest (Texas), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Lance Lynn (7-4, 4.39 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (4-6, 4.86)
Lynn seeks his seventh straight quality start after allowing just 11 runs over 39 1/3 innings in the last six and is 7-1 since going 0-3 in April. The 32-year-old native of Indiana has registered 85 strikeouts and issued only 23 walks over 80 frames this season, but opponents are batting .270 against him overall. Jackie Bradley Jr. is 3-for-6 with two homers versus Lynn, who went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three outings against Boston last year.
Porcello has lost both of his starts this month, permitting nine runs and 17 hits with nine strikeouts and two walks in 10 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old native of New Jersey and 2016 American League Cy Young Award winner has been more effective at home (4-3, 3.86 ERA) than on the road (0-3, 6.37). Rougned Odor is 7-for-12 with a homer and five RBIs against Porcello, who allowed one run and three hits over six frames in a victory against the Rangers last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Boston 3B Rafael Devers went 1-for-5 with a two-run triple on Tuesday after being mired in an 0-for-19 slump.
2. Texas INF-OF Danny Santana has gone 7-for-16 with two doubles, two triples, four runs and three RBIs in his last four contests.
3. Red Sox RHP Ryan Brasier was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list on Tuesday.