Red Sox 3, Rangers 1
Jon Lester threw eight scoreless innings in 102-degree heat, J.D. Drew drove in a run and the Boston Red Sox persevered for a 3-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on a steamy Saturday night.
The 102-degree temperature at first pitch was the second-highest in Rangers Ballpark history, just short of the all-time high of 103 on Aug. 3, 2008.
The heat didn’t seem to bother Lester (13-7), who allowed only five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
The Red Sox broke a scoreless game in the fifth, when Drew had a two-out RBI single. Boston cushioned its lead with two runs in the ninth, one on Bill Hall’s RBI single and one on Marco Scutaro’s sacrifice fly.
Trailing 1-0 in the seventh, Texas had a chance to tie it when Nelson Cruz tripled with one out. Lester ended that threat by getting David Murphy and Jorge Cantu to ground out.
The Rangers scored a run in the ninth, as Josh Hamilton belted a solo home run over the left-field fence.
Texas starter Colby Lewis (9-9) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. Lewis hasn’t won since July 16 despite going at least six innings in each of his past five starts.