BOSTON, June 15 -- Two strikes, two outs, the bases loaded, and a season that has given Boston almost nothing to cheer about hanging on one swing. That is where Ceddanne Rafaela stood in the seventh inning Saturday, and it is the only place this game was ever really decided.

Texas reliever Robby Ahlstrom had him in the count and had him guessing. Rafaela fouled off, fought it off, then shot a two-run single into the outfield that flipped a 2-2 tie into a 4-2 lead and decided a 6-3 Red Sox win over the Rangers at Fenway Park, according to ESPN. Everything before that pitch was setup. Everything after was insurance.

It mattered more than the box score suggests. Boston had not won a series at home since April 6 through 8, when it took two ...