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Loe, Rangers stifle struggling Red Sox

Jul 2, 2007 - 12:13 AM BOSTON (Ticker) -- A new month did not change much for the Boston Red Sox.

Kameron Loe pitched six solid innings to lift the Texas Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday.

The Red Sox made a pair of errors and left 11 runners on base in continuing their swoon in June, when they stumbled to a 13-14 mark after going 36-16 in the first two months.

The Red Sox, losers of five of six, have managed just seven runs in the series, which concludes Monday night.

"You go through cycles where it seems like scoring runs is very difficult," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "You go through the periods where we are whacking it all over the ballpark. I hope that cycle starts (Monday)."

Loe (5-6) won his fourth consecutive start since being recalled from the minor leagues on June 14. The 25-year-old righthander allowed one run and six hits in six innings, striking out one and walking two.

"I used my fastball to both sides of the plate, got strike one," Loe said. "I believe I got the first hitter out in most of the innings and getting the first guy out in the inning is definitely big. I threw my off-speed (pitch) for strikes and got a couple of outs on changeups and just went right after them."

A trio of relievers bridged the gap to closer Eric Gagne, who got the final four outs for his 10th save of the season and second in as many nights.

Gagne was brought in with two on and two outs in the eighth when Akinori Otsuka complained of stiffness in his right elbow.

"I had no choice, really," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We're just trying to save the game right there. We looked at what we had and we knew that we were bringing him in in the ninth. So, we figured that if we can get him in there to close out the eighth, it wouldn't bother him."

The Rangers took advantage of shoddy fielding by the Red Sox to take a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning against Julian Tavarez (5-6).

Sammy Sosa led off with a single and moved to second when Frank Catalanotto reached on shortstop Alex Cora's error. Marlon Byrd followed by hitting a long fly ball to right-center field.

Right fielder J.D. Drew reached up and had a bead on the ball but dropped it, allowing Sosa to score from second.

Cora atoned for his miscue by hitting a leadoff single off Loe in the fifth, moving to third on a one-out single by rookie Dustin Pedroia and scoring on Kevin Youkilis' single to left to tie it at 1-1.

Loe averted further damage by retiring David Ortiz on a flyout to left and Manny Ramirez on a ground ball to shortstop.

"I thought he was excellent," Washington said of his starter. "I thought he went out there knowing that he had to get ground balls and he did that. He made pitches when he had to and he also fielded his position very well, which was quite important to do.

"Two balls were hit up the middle. They get two (hits) there and it could have opened up some innings, so he kept us in the ballgame and he did his job."

Tavarez could not protect the lead as the Rangers forged ahead in the sixth. After Catalanotto drew a lead walk, Brad Wilkerson lofted a wall-scraping double to left-center. Ramirez briefly fumbled the carom, allowing Catalonotto to score and Wilkerson to reach third on the throw home.

Rebounding from his worst outing of the season, Tavarez was charged with two runs - one earned - and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two.

The Red Sox threatened in the seventh against Texas' bullpen. Pedroia singled off C.J. Wilson with two outs, bringing on Frank Francisco, who walked Youkilis to put runners at second and third.

Francisco got out of it by fanning Ortiz, the fourth time he has gone down swinging in two games.

Ortiz again had a chance to play hero in the ninth with two outs and pinch runner Julio Lugo at first and down just one run. But the slugger, who has earned a reputation as one of the premier clutch hitters in the game, popped out to first to end the game.

"I don't think he's real comfortable," Francona said of Ortiz. "You don't stay 162 games feeling great about yourself. But as far as pressing, no. I know he feels a responsibility, but I also hope he comes up in that situation every time. That's how we feel about him. That will straighten itself out."

Boston again had two on and two out in the eighth inning, but Gagne retired Cora on a weak grounder to second base.