Rangers score early to beat Red Sox
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Texas Rangers jumped on Boston starter Clay Buchholz for three runs before he retired a batter and eased to a 6-2 victory over the Red Sox.
The win moved Texas 22 games over the .500 mark for the first time since the end of the 2011 season, and it is now 11-0-1 in its last 12 series.
Texas opened the first inning with four straight singles off Buchholz (3-8), with Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre each collecting an RBI with hits. Rougned Odor brought in another run with a bloop single as the Rangers had five hits in the inning.
That was plenty of support for lefty Martin Perez (7-4), who won his sixth straight decision after allowing one run in six innings. That run came in the sixth as the Red Sox cut the Texas lead to 3-1 on the first career homer by Bryce Brentz.
But the Rangers got that run back plus one in the bottom of the sixth when designated hitter Prince Fielder lined a two-run homer to right. Buchholz was charged with five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings on seven hits.
Texas pushed the lead to 6-1 with another run-scoring single from Beltre in the sixth inning. The Rangers finished with 10 hits, as Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-4 and scored a pair of runs. Boston tallied 10 hits, with Mookie Betts and Brentz each collecting two.
David Ortiz, playing in his last regular-season game at Globe Life Park, pinch hit in the eighth inning and drove in the final Boston run with a single.
NOTES: Texas RHP Yu Darvish threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday. It was the first bullpen for Darvish since going on the 15-day disabled list June 13 with right shoulder discomfort. ... Boston DH David Ortiz was out of the starting lineup Sunday after team trainers recommended he take a day off. Ortiz has been in 68 of the first 74 games for the Red Sox and came into Sunday hitless in his last six at-bats. ... Red Sox OF Ryan LaMarre drew the start in left field, making him the sixth player to start in left for Boston in 2016. ... The five unearned runs the Rangers scored in the fifth inning Saturday were the most any team has scored in an inning this year with all the runs being unearned. ... Rangers LHP Derek Holland, who went on the disabled list June 22 with left shoulder inflammation, is expected to begin a throwing program this week.