ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers used its first walk-off win of the season to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Adrian Beltre’s single to right field scored Elvis Andrus in the bottom of the ninth to give Texas a 4-3 win at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
Andrus began a two-out rally with a single to center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch to Lance Berkman. Boston put Berkman on first with an intentional walk to get to Beltre. Beltre sent a 1-2 pitch from Clayton Mortensen sailing over the second basemen’s head to score Andrus easily from second.
“I always want to be in that situation,” Beltre said. “I like it when the opposing manager walks the guy in front of me. That’s my job.”
Beltre led the Rangers with two hits in the game.
Boston had its opportunity in the top half of the ninth against Joe Nathan. Nathan walked David Ross and gave up a single to Stephen Drew to give the Red Sox two on with just one out. However, Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the threat.
Yu Darvish completed his fourth double-digit strikeout effort of the season with 14 in a no-decision. Striking out as many as four consecutive in the fourth and fifth, the right-hander retired at least two by way of the strike out in six of his seven innings pitched.
“The game goes on,” Darvish said of coming back after two home runs allowed. “Even though I gave up a few runs I had to continue on. I told myself it was only a few and I can’t dwell on them.”
The 14 fanned by Darvish equaled his career best, which came in his first start of the season against the Astros in a near perfect game. He became the first pitcher since 2000 to have two 14 strikeout games in the same season.
The runs against Darvish came by the way of his second career game with two home runs allowed. Darvish finished with 128 pitches thrown, a new season-high.
David Ortiz wasted little time putting runs on the board in the first. Following a single by Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz sent a hanging curve ball deep to right field for his fourth home run of the season and extended his MLB-best hitting streak to 25 games dating to July 2012.
Darvish’s final strikeout of the game may have been his most important. With a runner on base and the ninth hitter coming to the plate, he fanned Pedro Ciriaco on a 3-2 count to end the threat. Darvish’s emotion came out as he walked off the mound with a fist pump and a standing ovation from the Rangers crowd.
“If I would have given up a hit there it could have changed the inning,” Darvish said.
Boston starter Jon Lester was equal to Darvish in limiting offense, also allowing a pair of home runs.
Texas cut into the lead with a solo shot in the third. Mitch Moreland barely cleared the left field wall to sneak the ball inside the foul pole for his fourth of the season.
“It felt good. I felt like I had pretty good stuff but made two mistakes,” Lester said. “Against a team like that in this ballpark you can’t do that. This team is built off of momentum and they got a base knock by Beltre and they got a little rhythm. I let Cruz get back in the count and left one up.”
With runners in scoring position and less than two outs in the fourth and fifth, Lester came up with big pitches. Lester struck out A.J. Pierzynski looking in the fourth with a fastball on the outside corner and then had back-to-back strikeouts in the fifth to end the threats.
Nelson Cruz tied the game at three in the fifth with Beltre on first. Cruz sent a 3-2 pitch with one out to center field for his seventh home run of the season.
Lester finished with six innings pitched, three earned runs and struck out seven.
Boston, losing its first game after scoring first this season, was swept for the first time this season.
“A loss is a loss,” Lester said. “They are all tough no matter the situation in a series. The guys did a good job in getting me the lead and I have to do a better job in minimizing damage and I didn’t do that.”
NOTES: Boston had entered with a 13-0 record when scoring first entering Sunday’s game. … Ian Kinsler extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fifth. … David Murphy returned to the field to pinch run for Jeff Baker in the sixth after being held out of the lineup Saturday due to a stomach virus. … Texas travels to face the Chicago Cubs on Monday in a make-up game of the April 14 rain out.