The Red Sox grabbed a 2-1 win over the Texas Rangers, snapping their four-game losing streak with a late rally against Joe Nathan.
For much of the early game, it was the same old story for the Red Sox offense against a replacement starter for the Rangers. Martin Perez, who has been struggling this year in Triple-A, managed to escape trouble in the second, had a bad defensive play in right gift the Red Sox a run, and then held them scoreless through the end of the sixth.
Clay Buchholz, meanwhile, was largely up to the task of matching him, reinforcing his position as the current leader of the rotation. While he didn't have the strikeout going at all, Buchholz still managed to pick up 12 ground outs including a couple of double plays, thus keeping the Rangers from making up their deficit.
Eventually, though, the Rangers would manage to put Elvis Andrus on second early enough for him to move to third on a wild pitch with one out, and then score on a ground ball, tying it at 1-1.
The Red Sox would never really show up offensively, but the relief pitching held (albeit with Vicente Padilla hitting Adrian Beltre in the head), allowing the Red Sox an opportunity in the ninth. Up against Joe Nathan, the Sox quickly gave up their first two outs, and then started drawing walks. Daniel Nava came first, Jarrod Saltalamacchia second, and up stepped Mike Aviles. Facing a 3-2 count, Aviles sent a flare just over the head of Elvis Andrus at short, giving the Sox the lead they'd sought for so long. Alfredo Aceves was able to shut it down in the bottom half of the ninth, giving the Sox the much-needed 2-1 win.
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