Red Sox beat Rangers on Betts' walk-off walk

Red Sox beat Rangers on Betts' walk-off walk
Red Sox beat Rangers on Betts' walk-off walk

Mookie Betts worked a walk-off base on balls to carry the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon.

Christian Vazquez opened the ninth with a ground-rule double, and Jackie Bradley Jr.'s single to shallow right moved pinch-runner Marco Hernandez to third.

After a four-pitch walk to Michael Chavis, Betts coaxed a five-pitch walk off reliever Jesse Chavez (2-2), breaking the reliever's 23-inning scoreless streak.

Andrew Benintendi finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs to help the Red Sox snap their three-game losing streak and win for just the second time in seven games on the current homestand.

Rafael Devers had two hits and an RBI, Vazquez posted two hits, and reliever Matt Barnes (3-1) notched the win with a scoreless ninth.

Elvis Andrus had two of Texas' five hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Hunter Pence drove in two runs.

Texas starter Lance Lynn and Boston's Rick Porcello each produced quality starts and departed the game with the Red Sox ahead 3-2.

The game was originally scheduled for 7:10 but was moved up three hours so as not to conflict with Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins at nearby TD Garden.

Pence, who hit an inside-the-park homer on Tuesday night, lined a two-run double to right-center in the first inning after Andrus and Nomar Mazara strung together two-out hits.

Devers grounded a single to center with two outs that plated Benintendi to cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.

Benintendi tied it 2-2 with his third triple of the year, a shot off the center field wall, in the third, then doubled on another shot off the Green Monster in the fifth for Boston's first lead, 3-2.

Porcello, who allowed 12 earned runs in his previous three starts, settled in by retiring 15 straight Texas batters after Pence's double before Andrus rapped a double for his second hit in the sixth.

Porcello recorded two outs in the seventh, allowed a single to Rougned Odor and was replaced by Brandon Workman, who fanned Ronald Guzman.

The Rangers tied it 3-3 by putting runners on second and third in the eighth after a hit batter, a throwing error by catcher Vazquez on a sacrifice bunt by Delino DeShields, and Andrus' sacrifice fly.

Lynn lasted six innings, allowing three runs on six hits and a walk, striking out eight.

--Field Level Media

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