BOSTON (AP) — Nathan Eovaldi struck out seven over six strong innings, Texas had 16 hits in their first game since adding Bret Boone as a hitting coach and the Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 6-1 on Tuesday night.
Eovaldi allowed just one run on five hits in rainy conditions that pushed back the start.
The Rangers finished just two hits shy of their season high, recorded one week before in a 15-2 rout of the Athletics.
Texas won its second straight — the first consecutive victories since sweeping three games against the Angels from April 15-17.
Josh Jung was the only batter in the lineup without a hit for Texas, which was playing its first game since firing offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker and adding Boone, a former big league All-Star with one of baseball’s deepest pedigrees, to the coaching staff.
Something certainly sparked the Rangers, who batted around during a five-run fourth inning and provided Eovaldi (3-2) with a surplus of offensive support. Boston didn’t score until Kristian Campbell’s sixth-inning single drove in Alex Bregman, whose double to right was just their fourth hit.
Lucas Giolito (0-1) allowed 10 hits and six runs over 3 2/3 innings for Boston's fifth loss in six games.
Boston had a pair of hits in the fifth, which ended when Josh Smith caught a line drive headed for right field but didn’t know it. Smith spun around a full 360 degrees looking for the ball, which was in his mitt.
Key moment
Corey Seager and Joc Pederson opened the fourth with back-to-back ground-rule doubles, sparking a five-run rally as the Rangers batted around with seven hits in the inning.
Key stat
Texas’ seven hits in the fourth was one more than the Rangers had tallied in any inning this season.
Up next
RHP Tyler Mahle (3-1, 1.19 ERA) faces Boston righty Tanner Houck (0-2, 6.38) Wednesday night in the second of three games in the series.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Doug Alden, The Associated Press
