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SPORTS Thursday 13 June 2019

Betts’ bases-loaded walk gives Red Sox 4-3 win over Rangers

By DOUG ALDEN move to 19-19.
Associated Press The World Series champion
BOSTON (AP) — Mookie Red Sox haven’t been more
Betts watched patiently as than four games above
four straight pitches missed .500 so far this season.
the strike zone, and the Red “I’ve been saying the goal
Sox averted disaster. is to get to five over,” man-
Betts drew a bases-loaded ager Alex Cora said. “We
walk from reliever Jesse need to get there, and I
Chavez in the ninth, giv- say sooner rather than later
ing the Red Sox a 4-3 win and it’s getting, like, later.
over the Texas Rangers on But we’ve still got time to
Wednesday and halting do that.”
Boston’s three-game skid. TEXAS TOUGH
“I was pretty confident Rangers manager Chris
knowing the situation that Woodward had an easy
he had to kind of come to time shaking off this loss. His
me at that point. He was club has won four of six and
in trouble,” Betts said. “It’s has a chance at taking
huge. It’s kind of tough be- three of four in the Rang-
cause obviously we didn’t ers’ only visit to Boston this
want to let them back in season.
the game right there.” “We’re in a good spot.
Boston rallied against We’ve been playing well,
Chavez (2-1) in the ninth Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts is doused by teammates after drawing a game-ending walk so it’s fun to watch our guys
after allowing the Rangers that gave the team a 4-3 win against the Texas Rangers in a baseball game at Fenway Park, compete in that kind of en-
to tie it in the eighth on an Wednesday, June 12, 2019, in Boston. vironment against a good
unearned run. Associated Press team,” Woodward said.
Andrew Benintendi hit a tri- why I should,” said Chavez, Brandon Workman hit Shin- gave us a shot to win. Yeah, “When they take it out on
ple and two doubles, driv- whose scoreless streak of Soo Choo with a pitch and this is a big win so hopefully the field, they’re fearless.
ing in two runs for the Red 22 2/3 innings came to an went to third when Vázquez we can build off it.” We got beat today, but
Sox as they avoided falling end. “Just let them put the fielded a bunt by Delino Benintendi, ejected Tues- they had to execute some
below .500 for the first time ball on the ground and let DeShields and threw wildly. day night for shouting at pitches to beat us and
in more than a month. the defense do the work. Elvis Andrus tied it with a umpire Angel Hernandez that’s going to happen ev-
Christian Vázquez, whose Today was a day when I sacrifice fly to right. about a called strike, dou- ery once in a while.”
throwing error in the eighth wasn’t able to do it in a sit- The Rangers had three con- bled and scored in the first. TRAINER’S ROOM
put the tying run on third, uation when we needed it, secutive hits with two outs He hit an RBI triple in the Rangers: LHP Drew Smyly
led off the ninth with a for sure.” in the first, taking a 2-0 lead third, tying it at 2-2, and will miss his scheduled start
ground-rule double to cen- The start of the game was on Hunter Pence’s double drove in a run with a dou- on Friday when Texas visits
ter. Jackie Bradley Jr. fol- moved up three hours to to center, then went with- ble in the fifth. Cincinnati. Woodward said
lowed with a single and the 4:05 p.m. to avoid overlap- out a baserunner until the Starter Lance Lynn worked he wanted to take some
Rangers walked Michael ping with Game 7 of the sixth. Porcello retired 13 six innings for the Rangers, pressure off Smyly, who has
Chavis to load the bases for Stanley Cup Final between straight batters before An- allowing three runs on six struggled in his last two starts
Betts, who fouled off the first the Boston Bruins and St. drus’ two-out double in the hits. He walked one and and will be available in the
pitch he saw from Chavez. Louis Blues. Chants of “We sixth. struck out eight. bullpen. ... LF Willie Calhoun
The next four pitches were want the Cup!” rang out Porcello allowed two runs WINNING (quadriceps strain) will start
balls, and Marco Hernán- from the stands throughout on five hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Red Sox, who only a a rehab assignment with
dez, who pinch-ran for the game. “This was a game I think ev- few days before were try- Triple-A Nashville on Thurs-
Vázquez, trotted home. Matt Barnes (3-1) pitched a erybody knew we needed ing to climb five games day. ... 1B Ronald Guzmán
“I was just missing by a scoreless ninth. Starter Rick to win,” Benintendi said. above .500, improved to needed few minutes after
little bit. I think I was trying Porcello was in position for “Rick went out there and 35-34. Boston hasn’t had a a sharp grounder caught
to be too fine in that situ- the win until Texas tied it in after that first inning, threw losing record since May 7, him on the wrist in the sec-
ation where I don’t know the eighth. the ball really well and when it beat Baltimore to ond inning.q