ARLINGTON -- Trevor Story waited more than four months for his next home run. It came just in time for the Red Sox.
Story broke through with a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning Thursday, powering Boston to a 4-3 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field and helping the Red Sox avoid their first sweep since July.
The win also helped Boston maintain its position in the postseason race. The Red Sox currently hold the second AL Wild Card spot, five games ahead of the Guardians, with the Yankees 5 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the top Wild Card spot. It also set the Red Sox up to potentially clinch a postseason berth during their series against the Rays this weekend.
“It meant a lot,” Story said. “Just the challenges of the year and all that, but just trying to be present in the moment to help the team win. And today was a good one, that was fun.”
The moment carried additional significance for Story after a season interrupted by injury. The shortstop was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 16 with a sports hernia and underwent surgery later that month after the injury, which had bothered him since the spring and continued to worsen. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 4.
Story has been making an impact since returning on Aug. 30. He is riding an eight-game hitting streak and has recorded a hit in all but one of his 16 games since returning. He is slashing .327/.339/.473 in September.
“He's been great,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “He's got a hit in every game but one. That was a hell of an at-bat against a really good pitcher in a really big spot and a huge swing. Obviously needed a win, but all the credit to him.
“You’re one pitch away in a spot like that, where he can change a game, like we saw it numerous times in the second half of last year. So, like I said, it was a massive swing.”
Wilyer Abreu led off the eighth with a walk before Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch and exited the game, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa entering as a pinch-runner. Story then jumped on an 80.3 mph curveball from Jacob Latz and sent it on a line to left-center field for his first homer since May 13 and fourth of the season.
“I was looking for something just to put in play,” Story said. “[Latz has] a good fastball and just missed it a couple times, and I felt good about that. Just trying to get something in the zone and get on top of it, and was able to drive one out.”
For Story, the homer was another sign of the progress he has seen since returning from the IL. After missing more than three months, he is beginning to feel like the player he expected to be when he opted for surgery in May.
“It's tough because I'm not really motivated by outside noise or anything. But you know, you hear it, and I try to to use it in a way that fits me best,” Story said. “Like we said, that was the point of getting the surgery, to come back and try to be the player that I know I can be, and I'm starting to show that.”
Boston had started cutting into the deficit an inning earlier. After consecutive walks to Caleb Durbin and Nate Eaton, Eaton advanced to third on a flyout before Roman Anthony grounded into a forceout that scored Eaton.
The late rally came after Sonny Gray kept the Red Sox within striking distance following a rocky start to his outing. The 36-year-old pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out six and walking three on a season-high 102 pitches (67 strikes).
“[I was] frustrated with the way I went out there for the second inning, but kept it close enough,” Gray said. “We got one, and then Trevor made a great swing to give us the lead there, and that was huge.
“They're fighting for their lives over there, and they're playing well, and it's good for us to experience that, for sure. ... You want to be playing well at the end of the season. You don't want to just feel like, ‘just get into this thing.’ So tonight was a good step in that direction.”