BOSTON -- They had Chris Sale beat Wednesday. Took smart at-bats. Manufactured a couple of runs. Got strong starting pitching from Martin Perez.
And then?
Then the bullpen happened.
If the Rangers 2017 season goes down the drain, that will likely be part of the epitaph: “And then he went to the bullpen.”
On Wednesday, it was Sam Dyson, the most regular offender, who manager Jeff Banister turned to protect a lead in a jam. And, as has been the case so often this year, Dyson betrayed the trust, turning a seventh-inning lead into an eventual 9-4 loss by tying a Rangers record for pitching futility.