Final
Red Sox take best record to Arlington
May 3, 2013 - 2:44 PMVideo
Boston won the rubber match of its set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, as Ryan Dempster tossed six solid innings in a happy homecoming, and the Red Sox kept up their early-season success with a 3-1 win.
Pitching in his native country for the first time in 10 years, the Canadian Dempster (2-2) yielded just a run on four hits to help Boston take the rubber match of this three-game series and improve its MLB-best record to 20-8 with its seventh win in eight outings.
Dempster became the first Canadian-born Red Sox pitcher to start and win a game in Canada since Rheal Cormier on Aug. 5, 1995.
"He didn't have his best stuff overall tonight, but he uses the whole count when he needs to," said manager John Farrell. "He's got the knack to not let the game speed up on him and try to reach back and just go with sheer velocity."
Mike Carp and Jacoby Ellsbury delivered RBI singles to back the Red Sox' strong pitching effort, which included a combined three shutout frames from a quartet of relievers. Joel Hanrahan finished out the victory with a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Hoping to keep the Red Sox in the win column on Friday will be lefty Felix Doubront, who has won his last three starts and is 3-0 with a 4.24 ERA on the season. Doubront defeated Houston on Saturday, limiting the Astros to three runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Doubront, though, is 0-2 lifetime versus the Rangers with a 10.32 ERA in five games (2 starts).
Texas, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Derek Holland, who is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA. Holland lost to Minnesota on Saturday, as the Twins reached him for four runs (3 earned) and five hits in seven innings.
Holland has faced the Red Sox five times and is 4-1 against them with a 3.00 ERA.
Texas heads into this series stumbling a bit following a 3-1 loss to Chicago on Thursday. Adrian Beltre hit a solo homer for the Rangers, who lost their first series this season. Starter Justin Grimm (2-1) gave up three runs on six hits while striking out nine and walking four over 6 2/3 innings.
The Rangers have dropped four of five overall, but still hold a 1 1/2-game lead on the Oakland Athletics in the American League West.
Texas captured six of its eight meetings with the Red Sox last season.
- BOSTON: 0
TEXAS: 7
Final
May 3 11:13 PM - Ian Kinsler double to center scored Mitch Moreland with one out. On the play, Leonys Martin advances to third. Runners on second and third and Elvis Andrus due up.
Red Sox 0, Rangers 7 Bot 5, 1 OutMay 3 10:03 PM - Nelson Cruz single to center scored Adrian Beltre with two out. Runner on first and A.J. Pierzynski due up.
Red Sox 0, Rangers 6 Bot 4, 2 OutsMay 3 9:50 PM - Adrian Beltre double to center scored Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus and Lance Berkman with two out. Runner on second and Nelson Cruz due up.
Red Sox 0, Rangers 5 Bot 4, 2 OutsMay 3 9:45 PM - Elvis Andrus single to left scored Mitch Moreland with two out. On the play, Ian Kinsler advances to second. Runners on first and second and Lance Berkman due up.
Red Sox 0, Rangers 2 Bot 4, 2 OutsMay 3 9:39 PM - Craig Gentry infield single to short scored Jeff Baker with two out. On the play, Mitch Moreland advances to third on Pedro Ciriaco's throwing error. Runners on first and third and Ian Kinsler due up.
Red Sox 0, Rangers 1 Bot 2, 2 OutsMay 3 8:46 PM - BOSTON: 0
TEXAS: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
May 3 8:08 PM
Related News
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- OTM Open Thread 12/25: It is Monday Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- Saturday morning Rangers things Dec 23
- OTM Open Thread 12/23: It is Saturday Dec 23
- OTM Open Thread 12/22: It is Friday Dec 22
- LSB Offseason Community Prospect Rankings — #15 Dec 22
- Friday morning Rangers stuff Dec 22
- From Roman Gladiators to Red Sox, We’re Still Here Dec 22
- Yamamoto to Dodgers, per reports Dec 21