Clutch hit from Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela downs Rangers

Ceddanne Rafaela hit a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh inning to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-3 win over the visiting Texas Rangers on Saturday.

Jarren Duran hit a two-run home run and Rafaela had two hits and two RBIs. Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two hits and two runs and Willson Contreras was 2-for-4 with a double for Boston.

Jake Burger hit his 12th home run, Wyatt Langford was 3-for-5 with an RBI and Nicky Lopez had two hits for Texas.

Garrett Whitlock (4-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, striking out one. Aroldis Chapman threw a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.

In the seventh, Kiner-Falefa singled on a dribbler to third with one out. Mayer struck out, but Narvaez singled on a slow roller off third. Robby Ahlstrom relieved Cole Winn (0-1) and walked pinch hitter Andruw Monasterio.

Boston took a 4-2 lead on Rafaela’s two-run single that drove in Kiner-Falefa and Narvaez.

Earlier in the game, with two outs in the third, Lopez lined a single off second base. Langford followed with an RBI single up the middle, scoring a hustling Lopez from first as the Rangers went up 1-0.

Kiner-Falefa and Marcelo Mayer opened the bottom of the third with consecutive singles, putting runners on first and third for Boston. After Carlos Narvaez struck out looking, Mickey Gasper bounced a hit to right field to plate Kiner-Falefa and pull the Red Sox even at 1-1.

Later, with two outs, Wilyer Abreu drove in Mayer with a single to right for a 2-1 lead.

The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth on back-to-back singles from Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran, and a Jake Burger walk.

Cody Freeman struck out, but Michael Helman tied the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Burger’s homer in the eighth pulled the Rangers within 4-3. But Jarren Duran launched a two-run shot in the eighth and Boston led 6-3.

Suarez allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out seven in five innings. Rangers starter Jacob deGrom yielded two runs on six hits with five strikeouts in six innings.

–Field Level Media