Texas Rangers continue to fight in Boston, Bruce Bochy sent off for the fifth time

The Texas Rangers experienced a free fall last August with a terrible 4-16 series.

They fell from first place and their postseason hopes seemed distant, if not impossible.

Of course, you probably know the rest of the 2023 story. The Rangers earned a wild-card berth and posted an 11-0 road record to win their first World Series title.

It’s August again, and the Rangers are struggling with barely any signs of life. Texas lost for the 13th time in its last 17 games when the Boston Red Sox won Game 2 of the series 9-4 at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

The Rangers have lost six straight series since defeating the Chicago White Sox on July 25.

The Rangers didn’t have a single baserunner in the first five innings and fell behind 6-0 before thriving with four runs in the sixth inning.

With one out, Carson Kelly and Leody Taveras singled before Marcus Semien scored a run with a double. After Corey Seager walked, left-hander Cam Booser replaced starter Kutter Crawford. Josh Smith followed with a run-scoring single before Booser allowed two walks to Adolis Garcia and Nathaniel Lowe with the bases loaded and the Rangers got to within 6-4.

José Ureña pitched well, holding the Red Sox to one run in the first inning for four innings. However, the Red Sox managed a one-out rally in the fifth inning when four consecutive batters gave Boston a 6-0 lead before Connor Wong’s three-run homer. That was the end of Ureña’s night. He had six runs on seven hits and two walks.

Bruce Bochy was ejected in the sixth inning for arguing with home plate umpire Erich Bacchus about balls and strikes. According to Gametracker, the ball in question was a ball that was clearly outside the plate. Wyatt Langford, who led off the inning in which the Rangers scored three runs, was ejected for striking, prompting Bochy to leave the dugout. It is Bochy’s fifth ejection in 2024 and the 86th of his managerial career, the seventh-most in MLB history and two behind Frank Frisch.

The Rangers have not yet named a starter for the series finale against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.02) on Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. Dane Dunning is a likely option to start for the Rangers.

You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.

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