up from the minors earlier in the day, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in
the eighth inning to tie the game and won it with an RBI single in the
ninth to lift the struggling Boston Red Sox to a 7-6 comeback win over
the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
The Red Sox snapped a five-game losing
streak despite allowing the Rangers to steal a club record nine bases.
Texas has dropped five straight.
Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus each had
three of Texas’ club record nine stolen bases as the Rangers opened a
6-1 lead after five innings.
Jonathan Papelbon (1-1) pitched a
hitless ninth for the win.
The Rangers swiped all nine against
knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and catcher Victor Martinez.
Kevin Youkilis opened the ninth with
an infield hit off the body of Frank Francisco (2-3), advanced on a
passed ball and was sacrificed to third by Bill Hall. Mike Lowell was
intentionally walked and Adrian Beltre popped to first. Jason Varitek
then walked on four pitches before McDonald lifted a fly ball just over
the leap of Josh Hamilton.
Texas swiped one in the first, five in
the third and two in the fourth. Cruz set the club record with his
third of the game, swiping third in the fifth.
Josh Reddick, recalled earlier in the
day from Triple-A, had a two-run double for Boston, cutting the deficit
to 6-4 in the sixth.
The Rangers were 18-for-18 in
stolen-base attempts against the Red Sox last season.
The previous club record was eight,
set against Boston in Arlington, Tx. last August 15.
Cruz started the Rangers’ running
game in the first when he had an RBI single to make it 1-0 and followed
by stealing second.
Martinez’s RBI single in the first
tied the game. Boston had gone 0 for its last 32 with runners in scoring
position.
Texas set a club record for steals in
an inning with five in the third. Hamilton’s grounder scored Andrus to
make it 2-1. Andrus walked leading off, then stole second and third.
Vladimir Guerrero had a pair of stolen bases and Cruz the other in the
inning.
Julio Borbon‘s RBI single triggered a
three-run fourth. Joaquin Arias scored on a wild pitch and Michael
Young added a run-scoring single, making it 5-1.
Before the inning, Martinez threw the
ball into center field while warming up Wakefield. He also threw it
past the pitcher in the fifth inning.
Boston’s catchers have thrown out
just one of 31 runners this season.
The nine steals allowed matched the
most by Boston since Oct. 3, 1913.
Hamilton overran Reddick’s fly ball
down the line; that fell in for a double to make it 6-4 in the sixth.
Rangers starter Colby Lewis allowed
three runs on five hits in five innings. Wakefield gave up six runs on
seven hits in six innings.
Notes
Cruz left the game in the
ninth with a cramp in his left hamstring. … The Red Sox put
outfielders Mike Cameron (strained abdominal muscle) and Jacoby Ellsbury
(bruised chest) on the 15-day DL before the game. They recalled Reddick
and selected McDonald from Triple-A Pawtucket. … Wakefield passed
Cy Young to move into second place on the Red Sox all-time list with
more than 2,729 innings pitched. … Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, on
the 15-day DL with a left upper back strain, was placed on a rehab
assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City today.