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Bumbling Like the Three Stooges, Sox Act Like It's Their First Rodeo, Making Errors Galore

August 21

E-Rod pitches for the Sox against Lyles. Rodriguez beat the Rangers six years ago in his first career win. To lead off the second, Rodriguez gives up a double off the Monster to Lowe. A walk puts two on for Solak, who singles to right to score Lowe and get the scoring started at 1-0 Texas. And it will get a lot worse! With two out, Holt, formerly with Boston, singles to center to score Pozo, who slides in just under the tag to make it 2-0. That is all the Sox give up for now, and that would be a plus had what happens later not transpired. Dalbec leads off the bottom of the third with a double off the Monster and quickly scores on Hernández’s single to right to halve the lead to 2-1. Hernández has now led the league for almost two months in on-base percentage. But one man a playoff contender does not make. Peters makes a catch on a deep fly ball to center before using his cannon of an arm to double Hernández off at first base to complete a double play. The play is reviewed because it’s nearly impossible to discern if the ball was caught cleanly or if it hit the wall. It looks like it was a clean catch, and the call stands, probably on the premise that there is inconclusive evidence to the contrary. With one out in the top of the fourth, Ibañez doubles off the wall to extend his hit streak to six games. That play is definitely beyond any doubt. With two out, what should have been a routine groundout turns into tragedy. In the last month, when has anything been routine for Boston, right? The second baseman throws home to get Ibañez instead of getting the easy out at first, which would have meant no run at all. The throw goes wild, allowing Holt to go to third on the throwing error, and it’s 3-1. Holt scores on Kiner-Falefa’s double to the gap in left, making it 4-1. Rodriguez is pulled after that. What a relief. Sawamura comes in to replace him, someone we usually see far later in the night. Kiner-Falefa scores with two out on a Garcia infield single to make it 5-1 as lowly Texas makes the Sox look like a Low-A club. A hit-by-pitch puts two on again. They both move into scoring position on a passed ball, but Sawamura strikes out the next man to end the frame. With one out in the top of the fifth, Solak doubles off the Monster but does not wait long thanks to a double to left by Ibañez, his second of the night, as the rout is on at 6-1. Ibañez moves to third on a groundout but is stranded, though I’m sure the Rangers don’t miss that run.

With a runner at first and nobody out in the top of the eighth, García doubles to left to put two runners in scoring position. With one out, Kiner-Falefa scores on a wild pitch to make it 7-1. Would that it had stopped there. With two out, Pozo singles to left to score García and make it 8-1. An error by Devers puts two on when he should have just thrown to second to get the force out and end the inning. That’s four errors, the most this year for Boston. Ibañez singles in both men to make it 10-1. He moves up to third on a two-base error in right field by Hernández. You’d never believe the Sox have 70 wins or that the Rangers have won only 43 if you count tonight. A strikeout ends the inning. Rangers wrangle the Sox tonight, 10-1, in a torturous affair for the home crowd. That sounds right. Sox lose to the guy who gives up the most home runs in the league. This city deserves better than 70-55.