Before this series started, I noted that the Red Sox' pitchers tended to have some trouble against the Rangers' batters. 18 innings and 21 runs later, and I really wish I had been wrong.
John Lackey was first battered by another Ian Kinsler leadoff homer, then bruised in the third inning by a Kinsler (again) double, Elvis Andrus triple, and Josh Hamilton single for another two runs. With the lead bouncing around between the two teams thanks to another home run from David Ortiz--this time good for two runs--tonight's game was looking a lot like the opener.
If you're now remembering how the wheels fell off in that game, well, they did so here as well, but without the help of the bullpen. With two outs in the fourth and a 3-3 tie, Lackey came up against Yorvit Torrealba, who launched a double onto the warning track that a diving Jacoby Ellsbury just barely missed. Three batters later, and Josh Hamilton was up with runners on second and third and a 5-3 Rangers lead.
The Red Sox opted to walk Hamilton intentionally in order to face Adrian Beltre. Adrian Beltre opted to hit a grand slam.
And that was pretty much the sum total of the game. The Red Sox had a few more bright spots as Jacoby Ellsbury continued to display the power he showed in spring with his first homer of the year, and Adrian Gonzalez collected three more hits, but with Tim Wakefield and Dan Wheeler allowing a couple more homers, there was no recovering. The final score: 12-5, Texas.