PLAYER OF THE GAME - Toss up between Mike Napoli and David Ortiz. There really is no wrong answer. Ortiz got things started with the RBI in the first inning, and put them ahead 3-0 with the solo shot in the fifth inning. But Napoli also homered in the game, and his RBI in the fifth inning turned out to be the game-winning RBI.
STARTERS REPORT - Now this is a Wade Miley that we can all get used to. Miley followed up his last scoreless outing (6.2 IP, 0 Er, 5 H, 4 BB, 1 SO) with what could be his best game yet. He pitched 7.0 innings allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk. He also struck out seven (one shy of his season-high). Miley really only let the Rangers get to him in the sixth inning, having already been staked to a 4-0 lead. He pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, finishing with 106 pitches, 68 for strikes.
Yovani Gallardo, on the other hand, was not sharp. Gallardo put his team behind from the very start, allowing the Sox to go ahead 1-0 in the first inning (and really he's lucky that's all they scored). He also allowed solo shots from Mike Napoli in the fourth inning and David Ortiz in the fifth inning. That fifth inning wool be his last.
TURNING POINT - Let's go with Wade Miley's seventh inning. After allowing two runs in the 6th inning to cut the Red Sox 4-0 lead in half, Miley came back on for the seventh inning. Had things gone south, we're talking about a completely different game. But Miley gathered himself and got the top of the Rangers down in order. It's exactly the type of game the Red Sox hope to get out of him.
WHAT I LIKED - Wade Miley aside, it has to be Mike Napoli. Napoli went deep in the fifth inning, a solo homer that was an absolute laser into the Monster seats. Honestly nobody on the team needed a hit like that more than he did. Will it be enough to get something going long-term? Perhaps. In his next at-bat he grounded a soft one to short, but the throw never made it to first base as it was bobbled. Still, Napoli was credited with a hit and it drove in Hanley Ramirez from third base. So two RBI on the night. Everybody will take that.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE - Now for the bad . . . Napoli could have had more than two RBI Tuesday night. The Sox got four hits in a row and led 1-0 with the bases loaded and one out. Up came Napoli who swung and missed three times. It was an ugly at-bat as Napoli looked really fooled on two of the pitches. Then Daniel Nava followed, and he proceeded to ground out. At the time, they were two .160-ish hitters who killed what should have been a multi-run inning. The Sox left them loaded again in the seventh inning, and left two more runners on the eighth. Again, they aren't cashing in enough when they need to.
Boston Red Sox
INJURY WATCH - Pablo Sandoval left the game in the bottom of the 7th inning after getting hit with a pitch in the left knee by Rangers reliever Sam Freeman. Sandoval immediately fell to the ground in pain and needed help walking off the field. He was pinch-run for by Brock Holt.
WHAT'S NEXT - Joe Kelly takes the hill for the Sox Wednesday night, and he too is coming off his best performance in quite some time. Kelly went 6.1 innings against the A's last week, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
This will be Kelly's first career start against the Rangers. He did pitch 5.0 innings of scoreless relief against them back in 2013.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are going with Phil Klein, who will make his debut as a starter. Klein started the year in the bullpen for the Rangers, but was sent down after a rough beginning of the season. He was chosen to start over a couple other options, including former Red Sox pitcher Anthony Ranaudo.