Red Sox Enter Matchup Against Rangers on Losing Streak

The Boston Red Sox return home on Friday night looking to stop a four-game losing streak when they host the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Texas enters at 34-34 and sits second in the AL West, while Boston is 27-39 and last in the AL East. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT.

The Rangers will send right-hander Jack Leiter to the mound. Leiter is 3-5 with a 4.69 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP and 76 strikeouts. Boston is expected to counter with Sonny Gray, who has been one of the club’s most effective starters this season. Gray is 7-1 with a 3.20 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and 44 strikeouts.

Boston has struggled at home, posting a 10-21 record in its own ballpark, though its pitching staff has kept the team competitive. The Red Sox hold a 3.93 team ERA, which ranks sixth in the American League. Texas has been better away from home than Boston has been at Fenway, going 17-20 on the road. The Rangers have also shown a strong ability to win when their offense breaks through, owning a 25-4 record in games in which they score at least five runs.

Friday’s game will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs. Oddsmakers have Boston as a slight favorite at -133, with Texas at +112. The over/under is set at 8 1/2 runs.

Several players enter the matchup with notable recent or season-long production. On the Boston side, Willson Contreras leads the Red Sox with 24 extra-base hits, including nine doubles, two triples and 13 home runs. Caleb Durbin has also been productive lately, going 12 for 36 over the last 10 games with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs.

For Texas, Jake Burger leads the team with 11 home runs and has a .434 slugging percentage. Corey Seager has provided recent power as well, going 5 for 21 over the past 10 games with two home runs and four RBIs.

The Rangers have been the hotter team over the last 10 games, going 7-3 with a .264 team batting average and a 3.13 ERA. They have outscored opponents by 12 runs during that stretch. Boston has gone 4-6 over its last 10, hitting .234 with a 4.29 ERA, and has been outscored by four runs.

Both clubs are dealing with significant injury issues. Boston’s list includes Garrett Crochet, Trevor Story, Kutter Crawford, Triston Casas and Roman Anthony, among others. Texas is also missing several key pieces, including Cody Bradford, Chris Martin, Robert Garcia and Jordan Montgomery, while Joc Pederson is listed day to day.

The Associated Press produced the report with data from Data Skrive and Sportradar.