The Boston Red Sox were built to pound opposing pitching staffs into submission but are barely scraping out one or two runs as they flounder below .500.
The Red Sox will try to turn things around on offense when they open a six-game homestand by hosting the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Boston closed out a 5-5 road trip with a whimper when it was shut out 5-0 by the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, marking the seventh time on the 10-game trip that the offense managed two or fewer runs. The Red Sox are last in the American League with a .201 batting average with runners in scoring position and went 2-for-20 in that situation in four games at Seattle.
The Rangers’ pitching staff has been handing out crooked numbers to opposing offenses but snapped a three-game slide with a 5-1 win over Cleveland on Sunday. Texas pitchers had surrendered a total of 24 runs in the previous three games but manager Jeff Banister decided to shake up the bullpen on Sunday and got strong performances from Tanner Scheppers and Ross Ohlendorf after the two were recalled.
Tuesday’s game begins at 7:10 p.m. and Boston will send left-hander Wade Miley (2-4, 5.60 ERA) against Rangers righty Yovani Gallardo (3-5, 3.94).
Gallardo snapped a four-start losing streak by limiting the Kansas City Royals to two runs and six hits in seven innings on Wednesday. The Mexico native has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last seven outings but was struggling to get run support before Wednesday’s win. Gallardo is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two career starts against Boston, including a win at Fenway Park when he was with Milwaukee last season.
Miley is settling in on his first trip around the American League and posted his best outing of the season at Oakland on Wednesday, scattering five hits and four walks over 6 2/3 scoreless innings to pick up a win. That victory snapped a three-start losing streak, during which the Louisiana native was reached for a total of 13 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. Miley lost his only previous start against Texas despite allowing one run and striking out eight in 7 2/3 innings.
Ortiz takes a break
Boston DH David Ortiz got the day off Sunday after going 4-for-8 in Boston’s previous two games. The 39-year-old Ortiz has now missed just four games this season; he hasn’t played more than 142 games in a season since 2011.
Wright has solid outing
Red Sox RHP Steven Wright was serviceable in his third start of the season Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to get the Red Sox a victory. Wright, who was called up from Triple-A for the start, allowed five hits and three runs — two earned — in five innings. Wright is filling in for injured RHP Justin Masterson, and his latest outing showed that the Red Sox should be in good hands while Masterson recovers.
Young players strong
C Blake Swihart showed good wheels for a catcher during his third-inning at-bat Sunday. Swihart hit a sharp grounder to SS Brad Miller’s back-hand side before beating the throw to first for an infield single.
LF Brock Holt had two of Boston’s five hits on Sunday, when Seattle LHP James Paxton threw eight shutout innings in a 5-0 Red Sox loss. Holt went 2-for-3 and is now hitting .307 on the season.