Rangers at Red Sox
David Price has come up big in some pressure-packed spots this season and will look to help the Boston Red Sox salvage a series split against the visiting Texas Rangers on Thursday night in the finale of a four-game set. Price and Boston will be up against one of the hottest pitchers in the game in right-hander Adrian Sampson, who has won five consecutive starts.
Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi was ejected from Tuesday's loss, bringing an end to an eight-game hitting streak, but he collected two doubles and a triple with a pair of RBIs in Wednesday's 4-3 victory. Rafael Devers, who ended an 0-for-19 rut with a two-run triple Tuesday, was 2-for-4 with a run-scoring single Wednesday to tie Xander Bogaerts for the team lead with 43 RBIs. Hunter Pence had his second straight two-RBI performance and extended his hitting streak to four games with a two-run double for Texas, which lost for only the fifth time in 16 contests. Elvis Andrus also has hit safely in four straight after collecting multiple hits for the fifth time in the last nine games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Adrian Sampson (5-3, 3.72 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH David Price (4-2, 2.70)
Sampson fell to 0-3 with a 5.25 ERA after he was pounded for six runs in 3 1/3 innings at Houston on May 12, leaving him winless in his first 15 major league appearances. The 27-year-old has since made a dramatic turnaround, going 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA over his next five outings after tossing a complete game versus Oakland on Saturday, permitting one run on four hits while striking out seven. Sampson lost his major league debut versus Boston while with Seattle in June 2016, giving up four runs and two homers in 4 2/3 innings.
Price matched his season high with 10 strikeouts while holding Tampa Bay to one run and five hits over six innings last time out after preventing a three-game sweep with 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball in his previous turn at Yankee Stadium. He has allowed three runs and 14 hits during a stretch of three straight quality starts and owns a 2-1 mark with a stellar 1.08 ERA in four outings at Fenway Park. However, Price is 4-6 with a 5.63 ERA against the Rangers and has been tormented by Andrus (15-for-32) and Asdrubal Cabrera (9-for-24).
WALK-OFFS
1. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts' walk-off walk was Boston's major league-best 10th bases-loaded walk.
2. Rangers LH Drew Smyly will skip his scheduled start Friday at Cincinnati, manager Chris Woodward said.
3. Red Sox RH Brandon Workman blew a save Wednesday -- the team's 11th of the season.