ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Texas catcher Jose Trevino hit a tiebreaking two-run homer soon after his battery mate’s final pitch, helping push Kyle Gibson and the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in a series opener Thursday night. Trevino’s first homer of the season came on the second pitch thrown by reliever Hirokazu Sawamura with two outs in the sixth. The Red Sox had only three hits, their fourth game in a row with five or fewer. The AL East leaders had won the previous three.
Boston had tied the game 1-1 against Gibson (3-0) in the top of the sixth when Rafael Devers had an RBI double on a full-count pitch. Alex Verdugo scored after leading off the inning with a double to deep center. That snapped the Texas right-hander’s home scoreless streak at 25 2/3 innings, dating to last season and matching the second-longest in Arlington since 1994.
Sawamura took over with two outs in the bottom half of the inning for former Rangers lefty Martín Pérez (0-2), with a runner on base after shortstop Xander Bogaerts had a fielding error. Trevino drove an 88 mph slider 411 feet over the wall into the Red Sox bullpen in left-center for a 3-1 lead.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered to straightaway center off Sawamura in the seventh when Kiké Hernández ran into the wall and fell to the ground. Gibson struck out four and walked three while giving up one run in his six innings. He has allowed three earned runs over 33 innings (0.82 ERA) over his last five starts since retiring only one batter in his first-ever opening-day start – the shortest in franchise history.
Ian Kennedy struck out two in a perfect ninth for his fifth save in as many attempts after John King and Joely Rodriguez worked a hitless and scoreless inning.
Pérez struck out seven without a walk, though he hit a batter in his 5 2/3 innings.
The Rangers led 1-0 on Adolis Garcia’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in the center when Hernández made a nice running catch with his glove extended high above his head. Joey Gallo scored from third after opening the inning with an opposite-field double and taking the extra base when left fielder Alex Verdugo’s throw got past third baseman Devers and Bogaerts, and Perez.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: DH J.D. Martinez was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the eighth. The Red Sox said Martinez came out of the game because of migraine-related symptoms. Manager Alex Cora said switch-hitting utility player Danny Santana (foot infection, left elbow surgery recovery) would start a rehab assignment with Greenville on Tuesday when the Class A team opens the minor league season.
Rangers: LF David Dahl was hit by a pitch near his right elbow when the left-handed hitter batted against Pérez in the fifth. Dahl stayed in the game.
UP NEXT
In the second game of the four-game series, a matchup of right-handers coming off tough starts, Nathan Eovaldi (3-2) for the Red Sox and Kohei Arihara (2-2) for the Rangers.
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