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Victorino helps Red Sox even series with Rangers

May 11, 2014 - 5:40 AM Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Shane Victorino went 3-for-4 with four RBI to lead the Boston Red Sox to an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers in the middle test of a three-game set.

David Ortiz hit a solo homer and scored twice and Jonny Gomes knocked in two for the Red Sox, who have won three of their last four.

Jon Lester (4-4), who struck out a career-best 15 batters last Saturday against Oakland, earned the win after going seven innings and allowing three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts.

Elvis Andrus, Prince Fielder and Alex Rios all knocked in a run for Texas, which saw starter Martin Perez (4-3) get tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings.

"I don't know if something's out of whack, but it didn't seem like he could get in a rhythm," Texas manager Ron Washington said of Perez.

A night after coming one out away from being no-hit by Texas' Yu Darvish, Boston scored early and often to take control of the contest.

"The attitude in the clubhouse early before the game was nothing about last night," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "It was more about how we were going to attack (Martin) Perez, and we did a very good job."

Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases with two outs in the second and Victorino followed with a single to center that plated Will Middlebrooks. However, Leonys Martin gunned Jackie Bradley Jr. out at the plate to end the inning.

Ortiz led off the third with a homer to right that gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Victorino added a two-run single in the fourth that plated Bradley and Pedroia, then Ortiz doubled to left to put runners at second and third with one out.

Two batters later, Gomes poked a single into left that scored Victorino and Ortiz.

Texas cut into the deficit in the home half of the fourth with a sacrifice fly from Fielder and an RBI triple from Rios that made it a 6-2 game. Andrus' RBI double in the fifth cut the deficit in half.

Boston added some insurance runs in the eighth with Pedroia knocking in Middlebrooks with a single and Victorino adding a sac fly to account for the final margin.

Game Notes

Texas pitchers entered the game with 22 straight scoreless innings ... Boston's John Lackey will oppose Rangers' Robbie Ross in Sunday's rubber game ... Boston had 11 hits, while Texas had seven ... The Red Sox were 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position ... The Rangers were 1-for-6 with RISP.