The Boston Red Sox head to Globe Life Field in Arlington for a Wednesday night showdown with the Texas Rangers, with first pitch set for 8:05 PM ET. Jake Bennett gets the ball for Boston opposite Texas left-hander MacKenzie Gore in what shapes up as a genuine pitching duel deep in the regular season. With September baseball carrying real weight in the standings, every game on the road matters, and the Red Sox need to come ready to compete in a ballpark that hasn't always been friendly to visiting clubs.
Red Sox at Rangers: Starting Pitchers
Jake Bennett draws the start for Boston. The young left-hander has been working to establish himself at the big-league level, and a road start against a Rangers lineup that knows how to put together at-bats is a legitimate test of where his game is right now. Bennett will need to work efficiently and keep the ball in the yard — Globe Life Field can play deep at times, but a mistake over the plate against Texas hitters rarely goes unpunished.
On the other side, MacKenzie Gore is a real handful for opposing offenses. The Rangers southpaw has the repertoire to miss bats and generate weak contact, and he's capable of keeping a lineup off-balance through multiple turns in the order. Boston's hitters will need to grind at-bats, work counts, and look for pitches they can drive rather than chasing Gore's secondary stuff out of the zone.
Keys to Watch for Boston
- Plate discipline against Gore: Gore can be dominant when hitters are passive. Boston needs to be selective early in counts and make him work for every out.
- Bennett's command: If Bennett can locate his fastball and keep Texas off the bases in the early innings, he gives the Red Sox bullpen a chance to bridge to the back end of the 'pen.
- Road momentum: Late September on the road tests a team's focus. How Boston responds to adversity — a bad inning, a tough call — will say a lot about where this club is mentally.
- Capitalizing on opportunities: Texas pitching has shown it can be had. When Boston gets runners in scoring position, they cannot afford to strand them. Situational hitting will be critical.
Broadcast Information
Red Sox fans can catch Wednesday's game on NESN or tune in on WEEI 93.7 FM. Spanish-language coverage is available on WCCM 1490 AM and WESX 1230 AM.
Prediction
This one figures to be a low-scoring, pitcher-driven affair, at least through the middle innings. Gore is the better-known commodity on the mound, and the Rangers will have the crowd at Globe Life Field behind them. That said, Boston is capable of stealing a road game when their pitching holds up. If Bennett can give the Sox five or six solid innings and keep Texas to two or three runs, Boston's offense has enough to scratch across the runs it needs. Call it a tight game that comes down to a key hit in the seventh or eighth. Red Sox 4, Rangers 3.
