The Rangers’ starting rotation has been growing increasingly uncertain, highlighted by Max Scherzer’s placement on the injured list before Friday’s game.

They had hoped José Ureña, who has been versatile and dependable in various pitching roles this season, could fill one of the gaps.

However, following an 11-6 loss to the Red Sox at Globe Life Field, even Ureña has succumbed to the team’s recent streak of bad luck. He allowed seven earned runs on eight hits over four-plus innings on Friday, marking his toughest outing in seven starts and 26 total appearances this season.

In the second inning, Wilyer Abreu hit a scorching 112.2 mph two-run homer off Ureña. The fourth inning saw Ureña struggle further, as Tyler O’Neill (106.5 mph single), Rafael Devers (106.5 mph double), and Abreu (109.1 mph single) all connected for hits. Additionally, Connor Wong managed an RBI single on a soft liner to right. Ureña conceded four hits on just six pitches to start the fourth inning.

“We tried to be aggressive… I used my changeup and aimed for the bottom of the zone, but they didn’t swing at those pitches,” Ureña explained. “When we used the changeup in key counts and threw it low, they didn’t bite, so we had to target more of the zone, and they capitalized on those mistakes.”

Jarren Duran led off the fifth inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly, which ended Ureña’s outing.

Before Friday, the veteran Ureña had posted a 2.84 ERA in 31 2/3 innings as a starter and a 3.22 ERA in 44 2/3 innings as a reliever this year.

Before the game, manager Bruce Bochy commended Ureña’s contributions, stating, “He’s done a terrific job—starting, relieving, long relief, high-leverage situations—he’s a pro.” After the game, Bochy remarked that Ureña’s performance wasn’t as poor as the statistics might suggest.