ARLINGTON -- Entering Thursday night’s matchup with the Red Sox, the Rangers were 72-1 when leading in the eighth inning or later, good for the best record in baseball.
That’s thanks in part to closer Jacob Latz, who has been dominant since earning the role. He notched his 30th save in Tuesday’s series opener against the Red Sox and leads baseball in both four-plus-out saves (13) and six-plus-out saves (seven).
He entered the day with a 2.00 ERA, good for eighth in the American League among pitchers with 50 or more innings, while converting his last nine save opportunities dating back to Aug. 7.
Latz is as automatic as they come. But on Thursday, with the Rangers right on the precipice of their first sweep since June 25-28 in Toronto, he stumbled.
Entering the game with a pair of runners on base after Jakob Junis walked the leadoff batter in the eighth and then hit Willson Contreras, Latz got a quick out before surrendering a go-ahead, three-run homer to Trevor Story, his first home run since May 13.
The Rangers, who did have a runner in scoring position after the second inning, failed to rally, ultimately falling, 4-3, to the Red Sox.
Winning a series was good. A sweep would’ve been much better.
With the loss, the club dropped one game back of the Astros in the AL West and remain two games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.