BOSTON — Trevor Story delivered the swing of the night, erasing a late deficit with a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers in Boston and avoid a series sweep.
Boston trailed 3-1 in the eighth when Story came to the plate against reliever Jacob Latz. Texas had been 63-1 when leading after seven innings, and Boston had gone a combined 0-17 with runners in scoring position in the series. Story changed it with one swing, smashing a 108 mph line-drive three-run homer for his first home run since May 13. The blast came in his home town after months battling injury, surgery and rehab.
Story backed it up on defense, starting double plays to end both the eighth and ninth innings. Wilyer Abreu helped set the table with a sharp single in the fourth and a walk in the eighth that came around to score on Story's homer. With closer Aroldis Chapman unavailable due to lat tightness and considered day-to-day, Wyatt Olds, Alec Gamboa and Garrett Whitlock combined for 2.2 scoreless innings to close the comeback.
The win came with a scare for Willson Contreras, who was hit in the hand by a pitch just before Story's homer and left the game. Initial X-rays were negative, though he remained sore. "Sore. Painful. My hand was numb for like five minutes. That was the reason I came out of the game. I have fractured, before, the same hand. It felt like a fracture. Thankfully, it’s not a fracture on the top of the bone. I’m just frustrated," Contreras said.
The victory halted the sweep bid and provided a cathartic moment for Story after extended questions about his place in the lineup. One game does not settle the larger test ahead, but the eighth-inning rally turned a looming loss into a signature win.