Josh Jung hit a tiebreaking single in a two-run seventh inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 on Tuesday night in their bid for an AL wild card.
Texas, which ended a four-game losing streak, began the night tied with Seattle for the third AL wild card. The Rangers play the Mariners in seven of their last 10 games. Texas also is one game behind Toronto for the second wild card,
Aroldis Chapman (6-4) retired five consecutive batters in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out three, and Jose Leclerc pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in eight chances.
With the score 4-4, Marcus Semien was hit by a pitch from Chris Murphy leading off the seventh and took second on Corey Seager's single. John Schreiber (2-2) relieved with one out and Jung grounded a single to center. Schreiber forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Jonah Heim.
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Boston, last in the AL East, has lost five of six.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the seventh by plate umpire Ben May after a ball four to Luis Urias. Alex Verdugo followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to shortstop but Seager’s throw to second sailed into right field for an error that tied the score 4-4.
Adolis Garcia's career-best 35th homer, his first since coming off the injured list, put Texas ahead in the second. Justin Turner hit a tying RBI grounder in a three-run third that included Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single.
Texas Rangers - World Series Champions
Semien hit a run-scoring single in the fifth, and Texas went ahead 4-3 in the sixth on Leody Taveras's run-scoring single and Heim's RBI double.
FOR STARTERS
Texas starer Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in five innings. It was his fourth start since coming off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 5. He didn’t go further than 3 1/3 innings in his previous three outings.
Boston's Tanner Houck gave up two runs, three hits and four walks in four innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Wilyer Abreu (sore hand) is day to day. … An MRI revealed 1B Triston Casas, who won’t play anymore this season, has bursitis in his right shoulder.
Rangers: Bochy said RHP Josh Sborz (biceps tendinitis) is close to returning after throwing Monday.
UP NEXT
Wednesday afternoon’s rubber game will match Rangers RHP Jon Gray (8-8, 4.05 ERA) against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (12-9, 3.71). Gray is 0-3 in his previous six outings. Bello comes off a loss and hasn’t lost consecutive starts since early June.
