BOSTON — En route to winning the World Series in 2013, the Boston Red Sox never lost four games in a row, even though they dropped three in a row five times.
So far, the streak lives in 2014.
On Monday night, behind the strong pitching of John Lackey and a pair of RBI singles from young outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., the Red Sox ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Lackey (2-0) turned in his second consecutive strong start of the young season, working seven innings and yielding a run (unearned) on five hits. A passed ball helped set up Texas’ lone run.
Boston left-hander Chris Capuano worked the eighth, and right-hander Koji Uehara threw a two-hit ninth. The closer pitched in a non-save situation after Boston broke the game open with three runs in the eighth.
Bradley, a center fielder playing right field with Shane Victorino on the disabled list, had three hits and delivered his run-scoring singles in the second and fourth innings against right-hander Tanner Scheppers (0-1).
He also had a bunt single that turned into an eighth-inning run when first baseman Prince Fielder threw the ball away. Left fielder Daniel Nava’s RBI single and a groundout by second baseman Dustin Pedroia scored Boston’s other runs.
Both teams finished the night with 3-4 records.
Schepppers allowed two runs on nine hits in five innings.
Bradley came through with a two-out single for the game’s first run in the second inning. Then, after Texas tied it in the top of the fourth on designated hitter Mitch Moreland’s sacrifice fly, Bradley came through again, this time with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
Bradley is 4-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the young season — an impressive number on a team that has struggled in that department. Bradley has four of the team’s 10 hits with runners in scoring position in the first seven games. Boston, which grounded into three double plays Monday, is 10-for-57 with (.175) runners in scoring position.
First baseman Mike Napoli grounded into one of the double plays, but he singled each of his next three times up. Center fielder Grady Sizemore, who also grounded into a DP, had hits his last two times up.
Catcher A.J. Pierzynski also had three singles, his first three home hits in a Red Sox uniform after going 0-for-8 over the weekend.
In addition to his error, Fielder went 0-for-4, leaving him hitless in his last 12 at-bats.
Texas manager Ron Washington challenged a call in the first inning, when his shortstop, Elvis Andrus, flubbed a throw from second baseman Donnie Murphy. It looked as if Andrus lost the ball on the transfer, but the call on the field was “safe,” and it was upheld, leaving Washington 1-1 in challenges.
That gave the Red Sox runners on first and second with one out, but they didn’t score.
NOTES: The Rangers placed LHP Joe Saunders on the disabled list with a bruised foot and recalled RHP Daniel McCutchen from Double-A Frisco. RHP Colby Lewis, who is working in the minors and can be a free agent if he’s not summoned by Thursday, is a candidate to replace Saunders in the rotation. … The Red Sox signed INF Ryan Roberts as a free agent, and he was in uniform Monday night. He is slated to platoon at 3B with Jonathan Herrera with Will Middlebrooks on the DL. INF Brock Holt was sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket after spending one day in Boston when Middlebrooks hit the DL. … To make room for Roberts on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox moved RHP Steven Wright (sports hernia) from the 15- to the 60-day DL. … Texas LHP Martin Perez faces Boston LHP Felix Doubront in the second game of the three-game series Tuesday. … Rangers LHP Matt Harrison is slated to make his second minor league rehab start Tuesday. His first start, last Thursday, was rained out after two innings. … Texas 3B Adrian Beltre turned 35 on Monday.