Red Sox Enter Crucial Home Stretch Against Rising Rangers

Third baseman Caleb Durbin is performing well, but the Boston Red Sox as a team are struggling.

Boston is heading into its Friday night home matchup against the Texas Rangers, the first game of a three-game series, aiming to snap a four-game losing streak. Their most recent defeat came on Wednesday when they lost 7-5 at Tampa Bay, despite Durbin going 3-for-4 with two home runs.

Durbin, who has batted just .204 with three homers and 25 RBIs in 60 games this season, is on a hot streak in June, batting .333 (9-for-27) and going 15-for-44 (.341) since May 28.

Durbin said after the Wednesday loss, “Honestly, the past couple of days have felt really good. I’ve been getting solid swings and trusting that the results will follow, even though there’s still plenty of work ahead.

Durbin added, “I may not have a long MLB track record, but I’ve struggled at every level throughout my career. Knowing that struggle is part of the process helps me stay focused on the work I’m putting in.”

Wednesday marked Durbin’s first multi-homer game in the majors, but the defeat left the Red Sox a season-worst 12 games under .500. They have dropped four of five on their road trip and are 10-21 at Fenway Park, the worst home record in baseball.

Durbin admitted, “It’s really tough, but we need to bounce back. The off day (Thursday) should be a good reset, and then we have to get something going at home. It’s not an option; we have to get it going.

Texas is expected to start right-hander Jack Leiter (3-5, 4.69 ERA) on Friday. He is 1-1 with a 4.35 ERA in two career starts against Boston, both coming last year.

In his most recent outing, Leiter surrendered five runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 6-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.

Right-hander Sonny Gray (7-1, 3.20 ERA) is slated to start for Boston. He is 11-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 19 career appearances (18 starts) versus the Rangers.

Gray has gone 5-0 with a 2.43 ERA over his last six starts. On June 5, he limited the New York Yankees to three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, leading to a 5-3 victory.

Texas is riding back-to-back wins after completing a three-game series in Kansas City. A rain-delayed 4-2 victory over the Royals on Thursday gave the Rangers a .500 record (34-34) for the first time since May 1.

The Rangers have won nine of their last 12 games and all four of their most recent series.

“”Some guys have really stepped up in the bullpen,” Texas manager Skip Schumaker said. “Our starting pitching has been solid overall, and we’ve gotten timely hits, executed small-ball, and launched the long ball, allowing us to win in multiple ways. That’s the biggest difference from the start of the season.””

Joc Pederson sat out on Thursday. The designated hitter left the Rangers’ 6-4, 10-inning win over Kansas City on Wednesday due to left hip discomfort.

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