Calhoun's 'Lightning Hands' Feed Off Electric Crowd in Rangers' Win Over Red Sox
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers outslugged the Boston Red Sox in a Saturday night thriller, winning by a score of 8-6.
Willie Calhoun came through with the hit of the night for the Texas lineup. He also finished just one hit short of the cycle, but most importantly, hit a two-run home run that put the Rangers in front 6-5.
Calhoun is coming off a year where just about everything went wrong, both on and off the field. Now, we may be seeing the best version of him to date.
"I know this kid can hit," Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. "He wasn't even trying to hit a homer there. He's been trying to hit line drives to the middle of the field and to the opposite gap the whole time he's been here. That's what we've challenged him to do because those homers come naturally. He's so gifted with his hands. When that ball is inside, he'll turn on it and hit it in the air. When it's hit on the pull side, it's a homer for him. He's got lightning hands."
In addition, Isiah Kiner-Falefa was a force atop the Rangers lineup, driving in two runs on the night, and finished just a double short of the cycle. He had two crucial at-bats, beginning with a solo homer in the fifth inning to pull the Rangers within a run. The second at-bat drove in the game-deciding seventh run with a triple in the sixth inning.
Over 35,000 fans — including Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott — were on hand at Globe Life Field, erupting with deafening cheers on every big play of the night. It gave the Rangers a welcomed spark compared to the canned fan noise from last season.
"It felt like the big leagues," Kiner-Falefa said. "It's awesome. The momentum was on our side. There were a lot of Red Sox fans, but still, the Rangers fans out-did them and we got the W. It feels good playing in the big leagues again. This is the big leagues. Last year was [the Arizona League]. This year is the big leagues, and it's awesome."
Nate Lowe had two crucial RBI as well, giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead earlier in the game. While Kiner-Falefa and Calhoun were the catalyst for the offense, it may not have mattered without some clutch pitching in the fifth inning.
Rangers starter Jordan Lyles struggled through four innings, and led off the fifth with a single and a walk. Chris Woodward immediately went to Lyles' tandem partner Taylor Hearn. While he was bitten by a pair of tough RBI singles by J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts that gave Boston a 5-3 lead, Hearn worked around walking the bases loaded with nobody out, bore down, and got out of the jam without conceding another run.
"[Hearn] threw the ball really well," Woodward said. "He attacked those guys. Got a couple punchouts to end that inning. That was the game. That kept us in the game. That was the reason why we won, really."
Joely Rodríguez also danced out of danger in the eighth inning, forcing the Red Sox to leave the bases loaded for the second time. Ian Kennedy came in a slammed the door shut with authority, striking out the side in order to record his sixth save of the season.
"He keeps striking everybody out," Woodward said of Kennedy. "It's pretty amazing. I don't know how many time he's punched out the side, but he just keeps doing his thing."
The Rangers (12-16) will earn at least a split of this four-game series with the Red Sox (17-11), but they will attempt to take three out of four on Sunday. Texas will send out Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 4.61 ERA) to square off with Boston's Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.94 ERA).
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