Rangers Beat Price, Red Sox 7-2
BOSTON -- Robinson Chirinos blasted a three-run homer in the ninth inning after Rougned Odor doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth as the Texas Rangers crushed the Boston Red Sox 7-2 on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
It was the sixth homer of the year for Chirinos, the Rangers' No. 9 hitter, as Texas (53-32) reclaimed the major league lead in wins after the Chicago Cubs' 9-5 loss to Cincinnati.
Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo homer for his seventh bomb of the season and Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar each had RBIs for the Rangers.
Texas starter A.J. Griffin labored through four innings, throwing 96 pitches while allowing two runs, seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Cesar Ramos (3-3) claimed the win and Sam Dyson pitched the ninth.
Jackie Bradley Jr., fresh off his first career All-Star selection, belted a solo home run, his 14th homer of the year for the Red Sox.
Xander Bogaerts also drove in a run for Boston (45-38), which fell to third place in the American League East after its ninth loss in 15 games.
Red Sox starter David Price (8-6) lasted eight innings and struck out 10 but was a hard-luck loser as his three runs, eight hits and a walk proved beatable.
It was Price's eighth game with eight or more strikeouts this season, tied for the major-league lead.
Odor's RBI two-bagger in the sixth broke the 2-2 tie, and he advanced to third on the throw home.
Odor was enticed to scamper home on Profar's ensuing grounder back to the mound, which Price fired to Hanley Ramirez at first base, but Ramirez toed the bag and fired home to complete a bang-bang double play.
Profar pushed the lead to two runs with his ninth-inning single off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel, pitching in a non-save situation, and Chirinos unloaded on a 2-0 heater that bounced off the light tower above the left-field seats for the homer.
Choo crushed the game's first pitch, a fastball from Price, into the center field bleachers. It was Choo's fourth leadoff homer of the season and the 20th of his career.
Price allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out before striking out Prince Fielder looking, which drew a Bronx cheer from the Fenway crowd.
Andrus' sacrifice fly brought home another run, but Price forced a groundout to end the inning.
Boston has been outscored 30-2 in the first inning since June 12.
Bradley's leadoff blast to center in the second brought the Red Sox within a run.
Bogaerts worked a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the fourth to tie the score, but David Ortiz hit into the shift for an inning-ending groundout in the next at-bat.
Price got Ian Desmond to strike out swinging leading off the fifth, marking his 1,500th career strikeout.
Choo left the game in the bottom of the inning with lower-back stiffness.
NOTES: Boston DH David Ortiz, SS Xander Bogaerts, RF Mookie Betts and CF Jackie Bradley Jr. were named American League All-Star starters Tuesday night. RHPs Steven Wright and Craig Kimbrel were named AL reserves. ... Texas CF Ian Desmond was also named an AL reserve. ... Texas 1B Mitch Moreland (right calf tightness) did not start for the third straight game. ... Boston activated C Ryan Hanigan from the 15-day disabled list and optioned C Christian Vazquez to Triple-A Pawtucket. Hanigan missed 26 games with a neck strain. ... Rangers RHP Yu Darvish (shoulder and neck) will throw a bullpen session Thursday and might make his next rehab start this weekend. ... Texas traded OF Ryan Strausborger to Seattle for a 2016 international draft slot compensation. The team also recalled RHP Jose Leclerc from Triple-A Round Rock and designated LHP Michael Roth for assignment. ... Red Sox RHP Brandon Workman (Tommy John surgery) began a rehab assignment with the GCL Red Sox. Workman hasn't pitched since Sept. 18, 2014. ... Boston hired former major-leaguer Brian Banister as an assistant to pitching coach Carl Willis. ... Rangers LHP Martin Perez (7-4, 3.39 ERA) opposes Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (9-5, 2.42 ERA) in Wednesday's finale.
