ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jonah Heim and Leody Taveras homered back-to-back from the bottom of the order to erase a three-run deficit in the fourth inning, and the Texas Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 on Saturday night.
Rob Refsnyder, who tied a career with four hits and had three RBIs, hit solo home runs his first two times up — his sixth and seventh of the season — to help the Red Sox build a 3-0 lead before Heim’s tying three-run shot.
Two pitches after Heim’s 10th homer on a high drive down the line in right field, Taveras pulled a liner into the first row in right for his ninth in the second win over the past eight games for the defending World Series champions.
Texas reliever José Leclerc (5-4) struck out Ceddanne Rafaela on a checked swing on a full-count pitch in the dirt with the bases loaded when the Rangers trailed 3-0 in the top of the fourth.
Kirby Yates, the sixth Texas pitcher and only reliever in the majors without a blown save in at least eight opportunities, got the last four outs for his 20th save.
Yates ended the eighth with a bases-loaded strikeout of Jarren Duran, who was the All-Star Game MVP after hitting the tiebreaking, two-run homer in the AL’s 5-3 victory at the home of the Rangers last month.
The fourth set of consecutive homers for Texas this season came after Tanner Houck struck out seven in the first three innings. That included six consecutive outs on strikes, capped by a 13-pitch at-bat against Marcus Semien to end the third.
Houck (8-8) was replaced after allowing three consecutive hits to start the sixth, and the Rangers added three more in a row against Brennan Bernardino in a three-run inning. Ezequiel Duran, Taveras and Josh Smith, who had three hits, each drove in a run with a single.
The first multihomer game of Refsnyder’s nine-year career was followed by Connor Wong’s RBI single in the fourth against Cody Bradford. The left-hander who opened the season with wins in his first three starts was making his second appearance and first start after missing 3 1/2 months with a back injury.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Tyler O’Neill was unavailable because of an illness. He stayed at the team hotel, and manager Alex Cora said it would likely be Monday before O’Neill played again. … RHP Chris Martin, who has been sidelined a month with elbow inflammation, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session and could go on a rehab assignment Wednesday. … RHP Liam Hendriks, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is set to throw the first of at least three live batting practice sessions Tuesday.
Rangers: RHP Jacob deGrom threw a 45-pitch bullpen session with no apparent issues and is set to face hitters for the first time since right elbow surgery in June 2023.
UP NEXT
Red Sox RHP Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.47 ERA) faces Texas RHP Nathan Eovaldi (8-4, 3.38) in the series finale. Eovaldi, who spent four-plus seasons in Boston before joining the Rangers last year, has gone 43 innings and 166 batters over six consecutive starts without a walk. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history.
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