Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Jon Lester turned in eight scoreless innings and Bill Hall finished 2-for-4 with an RBI as Boston downed Texas, 3-1, in the second of three meetings between the teams.
J.D. Drew and Marco Scutaro also drove in a run each for the Red Sox, who had dropped two in a row, including a 10-9, 11-inning setback in Friday's series opener.
Lester (13-7) allowed just five hits and fanned five without walking a batter to win his second straight start after losing four in a row.
"It's nice to come out and give a quality start and win a game after two losses," Lester said.
Josh Hamilton smacked a solo homer for the Rangers, who have lost four of six.
Colby Lewis (9-9) was the hard-luck loser despite limiting Boston to six hits and one run with nine strikeouts over 6 2/3 frames.
"When (Lester) got in trouble, he made pitches when he had to," said Texas manager Ron Washington. "A couple times we had an opportunity to put some runs on the board and he made pitches."
Clinging to a one-run lead, the Red Sox tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth.
Lowell dented Darren O'Day with a leadoff double but couldn't score when Ryan Kalish followed with a single. Hall's base hit did plate him, then Matt Harrison entered. Eric Patterson beat out a dribbler back to the mound to load the bases, and Marco Scutaro's liner to center was dropped by Julio Borbon in center to score Kalish for a 3-0 game.
Harrison worked out of the jam, when he got Drew to ground into a 4-2-3 double play, intentionally walked Victor Martinez and retired David Ortiz on a grounder.
In the home half, Scott Atchison allowed a one-out homer to Hamilton, then an infield hit by Vladimir Guerrero brought on Felix Doubront. Guerrero helped to kill the rally when he was easily caught stealing second with Mitch Moreland at the plate, then Moreland struck out to end the contest.
Drew's two-out RBI single in the fifth snapped a scoreless deadlock. It scored Kalish, who singled to start the frame, moved to second on a passed ball and went to third on a Scutaro base hit.
It was the first time Lester failed to issue a walk since May 20, a 6-2 win over Minnesota...This was also the second straight start and sixth time in 2010 Lester did not surrender a run...Prior to the game, the Red Sox sent catcher prospect Michael Thomas to Texas to complete the July 31 deal for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia...Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the 15-day disabled list after hurting his ribs on Friday, and the Sox recalled pitcher Michael Bowden from Triple-A Pawtucket...Also before the game, the Rangers placed infielder Cristian Guzman on the 15-day DL and recalled pitcher Pedro Strop from Triple-A Oklahoma City