Wilyer Abreu homers twice as Red Sox upend Rangers

Wilyer Abreu and Alex Bregman both went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 6-4 win over the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

Abreu homered twice and hit an RBI double across his last three at-bats as the Red Sox overcame a 3-2 deficit by scoring the game’s final four runs, making a winner out of reliever Brennan Bernardino (1-0).

Bregman got the Boston scoring started with a solo shot two batters before Abreu in the fourth, marking the 200th homer of his career. He then flipped the score with a two-run, two-out single in the seventh.

Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-3 and scored a run for the Red Sox, who snapped a three-game skid.

Josh Jung (2-for-4) and Adolis Garcia both homered for Texas. Joc Pederson was 2-for-3 with a double. Jacob Webb (2-2) took the loss.

Texas starter Tyler Mahle limited the hosts to four hits across the first five innings, including fourth-inning home runs by Bregman and Abreu — the first two he allowed all season. However, three straight Red Sox hits off reliever Hoby Milner included Abreu’s game-tying double off the wall in center. The potential go-ahead run in Kristian Campbell was thrown out on a relay.

Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez appeared to beat out a fielding error that scored a go-ahead run in the sixth, but the call was overturned following review. Gonzalez collided with Texas counterpart Josh Smith and left the game before the following half-inning. Abraham Toro replaced Gonzalez.

Back-to-back singles by Connor Wong and Rafaela set the table for Bregman’s key two-out hit in the seventh, and Abreu added a solo shot inside the right field pole an inning later.

Jung greeted Boston closer Aroldis Chapman with a solo homer to begin the ninth. Chapman issued a one-out walk before notching his fifth save.

The Rangers manufactured a game-opening run in the third. Jonah Heim drew a leadoff walk and reached third on Jung’s wall-ball double before scoring on a Corey Seager groundout, but Boston starter Tanner Houck stranded the bases loaded.

Garcia doubled the Texas lead an inning later, roping a leadoff homer off the left field foul pole.

Mahle’s no-hit and shutout bids in one swoop in the fourth. Bregman got the hosts on the board with a one-out solo shot over the Green Monster, while Abreu went deep into the right-center field bullpen to tie the game.

The Rangers untied the game and chased Houck after 4 2/3 innings. Back-to-back hits by Seager (leadoff single) and Joc Pederson (double) set the table for a sacrifice fly by Garcia two batters later. Houck gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits.

–Field Level Media