*Photo from NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth*
Being claimed by the Boston Red Sox after being DFA'd by the Milwaukee Brewers, Travis Shaw wanted to make an impact with the team that gave him another tenure in the organization. He did so in a big way. Hunter Renfroe homered, Shaw hit the walk off grand slam, and the Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers 8-4 in 11 innings on Monday afternoon, a day after the game was postponed due to tropical storm Henri.
Shaw said after the game "Yeah, it’s special. Anytime you get DFA’d and a team claims you and gives you a second life, it means a lot to get claimed. It shows that there’s still a role for you, whatever role that is down the stretch. Just looking to kind of help out. Good start today. Good first hit back. Wouldn’t have it any other way."
On August 15, Shaw was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox after he was DFA'd by the Brewers while rehabbing an injury. It's a return back to Boston for Shaw, who was picked by the Red Sox in the 2008 MLB Draft, and made his debut for the Red Sox in 2015, hitting 13 homers. He spent 2016 in Boston before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers that offseason.
Alex Verdugo got the Red Sox going in the second inning, mashing a two run home run to right field, putting Boston ahead by a 2-0 score early on. In the 5th, Jason Martin scored on a fielders choice and error, putting the Rangers on the board and making it 2-1. Renfroe got that run back in the 6th by clubbing a solo home run to put the Red Sox ahead 3-1. In the 9th, the Rangers tied it on a two run double by Andy Ibanez.
Moving on to the 10th inning, Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI single in the top half for the Rangers, scoring Isiah Kiner-Falefa and putting the Rangers ahead 4-3. Down to their last strike in the bottom of the 10th, Rafael Devers delivered the game tying double to keep the Red Sox alive. In the 11th, the Red Sox loaded the bases with no one out, setting the stage for Shaw to deliver the heroics.
Verdugo said after the game that "Today just felt good. Obviously it sucked to give up the lead, but to fight back, chip back, to have, when it felt like the guys’ demeanors, the attitude, the quality of at-bats, it felt like none of that deteriorated. None of that went downhill."
Garrett Whitlock threw 2 2/3 innings in relief of Matt Barnes to get the win, striking out 4 hitters while allowing one run. Barnes blew his 6th save of the season in the 9th. That means starter Nathan Eovaldi got a no decision despite a stellar outing, allowing one unearned run on 4 hits, walking no one and striking out 7 hitters in 7 innings pitched. Adam Ottavino picked up a hold with a scoreless 8th inning.
Dennis Santana blew his second save and fell to 2-3 with the loss, allowing the tying double from Devers and the walk off grand slam to Shaw. Lefty Kolby Allard got the start, responsible for 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks, striking out 5 hitters in 6 innings pitched, getting a no decision. Josh Sborz, Brett Martin, and Spencer Patton pitched for the Rangers in relief.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said "There's some things like lack of execution, sometimes getting caught up in the moment, especially late in games like that. These are things that our guys have to learn. I think just talking through it, having the dialogue and saying, ‘Hey, what were you thinking there in the 10th inning, what were you thinking there in the eighth-inning at-bat?'"
The Red Sox play host to the Minnesota Twins tonight, as they open a 3 game series with Tanner Houck starting the first game. The Rangers open a series with the Cleveland Indians, where Taylor Hearn will get the start.
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