ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Trevor Story hit a three-run home run off All-Star closer Jacob Latz in the eighth inning, capping a comeback from a three-run deficit as the Boston Red Sox beat Texas 4-3 on Thursday night and dropped the Rangers out of the AL West lead.
Texas (76-77) had won four straight games to gain a share of the lead but dropped one game behind Houston (77-76), which holds the tiebreaker. The Rangers trail by two games for the last AL
wild card.
Boston (83-70) has a five-game lead for the top AL wild card and improved to 8-59 when trailing after seven innings. Texas dropped to 63-2 when leading after seven innings.
Latz (3-3) entered after Wilyer Abreu walked starting the eighth and Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch from Jakob Junis.
Latz struck out Adley Rutschman and Story, who is from nearby Irving, reached down for Latz's second straight low curveball and drove the ball over the left-field wall for his fourth home run this season.
Boston’s Wyatt Olds (2-0) got three outs and Garrett Whitlock pitched the ninth for his fourth save in eight chances, getting Jake Burger to ground into a game-ending double play.
Josh Jung hit a first-inning homer off Sonny Gray, and Texas opened a 3-0 lead in the second on Danny Jansen's RBI single and Evan Carter's safety squeeze bunt.
Roman Anthony hit into a run-scoring forceout in the seventh.
Texas’ Cody Bradford followed a one-inning opener with 4 1/3 shutout innings, seeking his first major league since Sept. 18, 2024. He missed last season following elbow surgery.
Gray gave up three hits in 6 1/3 innings, throwing a season-high 102 pitches.
Red Sox: LHP Ranger Suarez (7-4, 3.33) will go against LHP Ian Seymour (9-6, 4.27) on Friday at Tampa Bay.
Rangers: RHP Kumar Rocker (5-11, 4.54) starts Friday against visiting Toronto and RHP Dylan Cease (11-5, 2.38).
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