ARLINGTON, Texas — The Red Sox were on the verge of a dispiriting loss on Friday night, their ace pitcher having been crushed by the Texas Rangers.
But with two outs in the top of the ninth and one strike away from defeat, they instead pulled off the victory of the season, rallying to beat the Rangers, 8-7.
The winning run scored on, of all things, a wild pitch. The Sox had been 1-27 when trailing after eight innings.
“It was an outstanding comeback win,’’ Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “A great character win for our guys. We were in a deep hole in the third inning.’’
The Red Sox were down, 6-0, after three innings, starter David Price getting rocked by the Rangers before being pulled after 2? innings.
Strong relief work by Matt Barnes, Tommy Layne, and Heath Hembree and two-run home runs by Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. pulled the Red Sox closer but they still trailed, 7-4, going into the ninth inning.
Facing Jake Diekman, Bradley drew a walk. With two outs, Sandy Leon hit for Christian Vazquez and lined an RBI double to left field, capping an epic 11-pitch at-bat,
Leon is 12 of 22 with four doubles and four RBIs in nine games.
Texas called in righthander Matt Bush. Mookie Betts drove his third pitch, a 97-mile-per-hour fastball, over the fence in left-center field to tie it.
“You’re not gonna get a fastball by him,’’ Farrell said.
Betts said, “We see great velocities all the time. That doesn’t bother me. I thought I had it. If that didn’t go out, I would have cried.’’
Dustin Pedroia walked and took third when Xander Bogaerts singled to right field. Texas decided to pitch to David Ortiz and Bush’s fourth pitch was a high fastball that went to the backstop, allowing Pedroia to score.
With Craig Kimbrel unavailable after pitching two innings Thursday, Koji Uehara was used as the closer and he struck out the side for his second save.
Red Sox relievers retired the final 12 Rangers in order. Hembree (4-0) was the winner.
“That was one of the best wins I’ve ever been a part of,’’ said Bradley. “We kept grinding and grinding. And that ninth inning, when Mookie came up, I called it. That guy is the playmaker. I just had a feeling.’’
Rick Porcello confirmed that Bradley did call the home run.
“We’ve been struggling and taking some L’s,’’ Betts said. “This game can do a lot for us.’’
Price gave up six runs in one of the worst performances of his career.
The Rangers had 16 hits, the most against the Red Sox this season. Every starter had at least one.
Price had a 2.47 earned run average in his previous eight starts this season and had held opponents to a .204 batting average.
But he was in trouble from the start against Texas.
Shin-Soo Choo led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to right field when Price left a fastball in the middle of the plate.
Ian Desmond, Adrian Beltre, and Ryan Rua followed with singles to load the bases. Price was ahead of both Desmond and Beltre but could not put them away.
Prince Fielder then grounded to first base and Ramirez started a 3-2-3 double play. That gave Price a chance to get out of the inning having allowed just one run.
But his next pitch was a cutter that stayed over the plate and Elvis Andrus grounded it into left field for a two-run single.
Bobby Wilson doubled in the second inning and scored on a single by Desmond.
In the third inning, singles by Andrus, Rougned Odor, and Jurickson Profar loaded the bases. Wilson then lined a full-count fastball into left field and two runs scored. That was the night for Price after 59 pitches.
Price was charged with six runs on 12 hits over 2? innings. It was the fifth time in 229 career starts that Price lasted fewer than three full innings. By Game Score, a formula developed by Bill James, it was the third-worst start of the lefthander’s career.
Price’s two worst starts both came against the Yankees while pitching for the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
On Aug. 27, 2014, he allowed eight runs on 12 hits over two innings. On April 22, 2014, he gave up eight runs on 10 hits and three walks over 2? innings.
Something to think about if the Red Sox run across the Rangers in the postseason: Price has a 5.64 ERA in 12 career starts against Texas — 7.68 in six starts at Globe Life Park.
Barnes threw 51 pitches over 2? innings — both season highs — in relief of Price. The only mistake he made came in the fourth inning when Fielder belted a changeup out to right center for his sixth home run.
Texas starter Nick Martinez went six innings and allowed four runs on six hits. All of the damage came on home runs. Ramirez had the two-run shot to center field in the fourth inning and Bradley a two-run blast into the second deck in right center in the sixth.
It was the 13th home run for Bradley. Of his 74 hits this season, 36 have been for extra bases.
Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.
