The Rangers had been nearly untouchable with a late lead, but Thursday night in Arlington gave that record its rare blemish. Texas carried a chance to finish a sweep of Boston into the eighth inning before Trevor Story turned the game with a three-run homer, sending the Red Sox to a 4-3 win.
| Team | Runs |
|---|---|
| Red Sox | 4 |
| Rangers | 3 |
Before the game, Texas was 72-1 when leading in the eighth inning or later, the best such mark in the majors. The Rangers had won the series and were chasing their first sweep since taking four straight in Toronto from June 25-28.
Jakob Junis opened the eighth by walking the leadoff hitter and hitting Willson Contreras. Jacob Latz inherited the two baserunners, recorded an early out, then watched Story drive the decisive pitch for a three-run shot. It was Story’s first home run since May 13.
Latz’s rare late stumble
The blown lead came from an unlikely corner of the Texas bullpen. Latz had secured his 30th save in Tuesday’s series opener and had converted nine straight save chances since Aug. 7. Entering Thursday, he owned a 2.00 ERA, eighth among American League pitchers with at least 50 innings.
| Latz late-game mark entering Thursday | Total |
|---|---|
| Saves | 30 |
| Four-or-more-out saves | 13 |
| Six-or-more-out saves | 7 |
| ERA | 2.00 |
His 13 saves of at least four outs and seven of six or more outs both led Major League Baseball. That workload had made him one of Texas’ most dependable finishers, which made Story’s swing all the more costly.
Missed chance in the standings
The Rangers put a runner in scoring position after the second inning but could not manufacture the answer after Boston moved ahead. The loss left Texas one game behind Houston in the AL West and still two games out of the final American League Wild Card berth.
A series win still counted for something in the clubhouse. But with the bullpen door usually locked late, Thursday felt like a sweep that got away.
