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Tejeda, Sosa lead Rangers to first win of season

Apr 6, 2007 - 10:53 PM ARLINGTON, Texas (Ticker) -- Robinson Tejeda gave the Texas Rangers a much-needed lift in their home opener. Sammy Sosa contributed as well.

Tejeda allowed just two hits in seven innings and Sosa picked up his first RBI of the season as the Rangers posted their first victory, 2-0 over the Boston Red Sox.

The Rangers were swept in a season-opening three-game series against the Los Angeles Angeles Angels of Anaheim, batting just .161 and scoring a total of seven runs in the losses.

"We needed to get back home and get this monkey off our back," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "If you get off to a good start, you've got something to fall back on but if you get off to a bad start, you've got to go to work. These guys have really been busting it and today the breaks finally went our way."

Texas only managed two runs in its home opener but it was enough, thanks to Tejeda (1-0). The team's fourth starter, Tejeda yielded just a single to J.D. Drew in the second inning and a double to Coco Crisp in the fifth. The Dominican righthander walked three and struck out one.

"It was a big day for me getting the ball on our Opening Day and I felt, I had to get the win for these guys," Tejeda said. "I hit the strike zone on a regular basis and kept the ball down."

Tejeda sailed through seven innings throwing just 77 pitches and allowing only one runner to advance into scoring position.

Joaquin Benoit pitched a perfect eighth and closer Akinori Otsuka closed out the three-hitter by working around a leadoff single by Manny Ramirez for his first save.

and Akinori Otsuka pitched an inning apiece to complete the three-hitter. Manny Ramirez accounted for Boston's third hit with a single off Otsuka in the ninth.

It was the first shutout by the Rangers in a home opener since 1989.

"Tejeda still had good stuff in the seventh but we had talked about Benoit being our eighth inning guy right now and wanted to use the opportunity to get our pitchers in line," Washington said.

Boston's Tim Wakefield allowed a run in each of the first two innings, before he settled down and didn't surrender a hit over his final four innings of work.

"It's one of those days where the guy on the other side pitched really good," Wakefield said. "After the first two innings, I didn't know if I was going to make it. I felt like I settled down after that. I had better command, a better feel for the stadium. The wind was blowing pretty good. I pitched well, we just didn't win."

Texas set the table for Sosa with two outs in the first inning as Mark Teixeira singled to advance Michael Young - who had reached on a fielder's choice - to second base.

Sosa, who had just one hit in seven at-bats in the series at Anaheim, plated Young with a check-swing bloop single to right field.

"It's a big first win," Sosa said. "The first one motivates you for the rest of the way. When you win everything is smooth, everyone begins getting more confidence and you begin to relax a bit." Texas posted its only other run in the second inning. Brad Wilkerson reached base on an error by second baseman Dustin Pedroia to lead off the inning. After stealing second base, Wilkerson scored on Gerald Laird's single to left.

Wakefield (0-1) proceeded to throw four scoreless innings after that, though he fell to 7-14 against the Rangers in his career. Relievers Hideki Okajima and Kyle Snyder did not allow a hit over the final two innings.