Lyles, Holt lead Rangers in Fenway romp
Texas outhits Boston 17-5; Peters wows with incredible catch, DP
Molly Burkhardt
@mollyburkhardtIn a tough season during which the Rangers have seen themselves back by double digits in the American League West standings since June 2, any momentum shift is a welcome sight.
Everything clicked for the Rangers on Saturday night as they snapped a four-game losing skid with a convincing 10-1 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Since the All-Star break, Texas is 2-16 on the road with its only other win coming on Aug. 10 vs. the Mariners.
¡°It was one of our better games on all sides of the ball,¡± manager Chris Woodward said. ¡°One thing I told the team after the game was, the thing that I was probably most impressed and most proud of is the fact that we played hard.¡±
From the start, the Rangers appeared to be in control, taking an early two-run lead in the second inning with two RBI singles. Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez -- who had a 3.13 ERA with 52 strikeouts in his last eight starts -- was pulled in the fourth after he was charged with five runs on eight hits.
Saturday¡¯s win was a true group effort, with the Rangers firing from all sides. Here¡¯s a look at what went right for them in a convincing win at Boston:
Lyles¡¯ efficient outing
If there¡¯s something the Rangers can count on from starter Jordan Lyles, it¡¯s his ability to eat innings. Saturday was no exception, with the right-hander cruising through seven innings of one-run ball en route to his sixth win of the season and the 50th of his career. Lyles wasted no time settling in, with a 1-2-3 first that ended with a strikeout of shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
¡°Jordan kind of set the tone,¡± Woodward said. ¡°The way he came out and threw the ball. You could tell he had really good stuff from the very beginning in his execution, his game plan.¡±
Despite Boston¡¯s recent slump (coming into this series fresh off being swept at Yankee Stadium), the lineup is still a powerhouse that Lyles dominated in his ninth quality start of the season. Saturday also marked Lyles¡¯ first start at Fenway Park.
Offense finds its groove
Texas racked up 17 hits, the club¡¯s most since July 1 vs. Oakland. Every Ranger reached base and notched a hit, with five players having multi-hit games. One night after going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, Texas went 8-for-22 Saturday.
¡°The at-bat quality was way better,¡± Woodward said. ¡°You could see the grind, see the fight. ¡ They made some mistakes and we made them pay.¡±
The Rangers outhit the Red Sox, 17-5, tallying a season-high seven doubles -- their most in a game since April 27, 2019, against Seattle.
Brock Holt, who played for Boston from 2013-19, made just his second start (third appearance) as a visitor at Fenway Park. He went 2-for-6 with two RBIs and one run scored.
¡°Obviously this place was home for seven, eight years,¡± Holt said on his return to Boston. ¡°Got married playing for the Red Sox, had two kids playing for the Red Sox, we bought a house here. This place is really special to me and my family. To be able to come back and get the reception that I got yesterday and today has been super cool for me and my family. And I¡¯ll forever be grateful to this place.¡±
Peters' defensive highlight reel
Playing in his first series at Fenway Park, DJ Peters created a defensive highlight reel in the first of two games vs. the Red Sox. In the series opener, the outfielder introduced himself to the Green Monster with an against-the-wall catch to end the sixth inning.
One day later, Peters followed his stellar catch with an even more impressive play -- and in a more crucial moment. Again with Devers at the plate, Peters made a grab against the center-field wall before firing to first to get Kik¨¦ Hern¨¢ndez for the double play.
Boston challenged the play, arguing the ball hit the wall before Peters made contact, but the call was upheld. Aside from the wow factor of the play, Peters¡¯ efforts prevented a dangerous two-on no-out situation, erasing the baserunners before Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.
¡°That¡¯s up there with that [Ram¨®n] Laureano catch in Anaheim a few years ago,¡± Woodward said of Peters¡¯ Saturday catch. ¡°I don¡¯t know how he caught it, and to get up and throw the guy out at first base.¡±