Recap: Boston vs. Texas

Sports Network | June 7, 2009

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Nelson Cruz, who scored three times and knocked in a run, went 3-for-4 and was a single short of the cycle, while Vicente Padilla was solid in seven innings of work to lead the Texas Rangers past the Boston Red Sox, 6-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Padilla (4-3) allowed just three runs -- two earned -- on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks to collect the win. C.J. Wilson picked up his fifth save of the year.

Michael Young went 2-for-5 with a homer and two runs scored for the Rangers, who ended a six-game road trip with a 3-3 mark. David Murphy went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Omar Vizquel had two hits and drove in a run for the victors.

Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4) got rocked in 5 2/3 frames despite fanning a season- high eight batters. Dice-K, who had his longest outing of the season on Sunday, gave up five runs on 10 hits to take the loss. He dropped to 3-1 against Texas in his career.

Mark Kotsay, who came off the disabled list on Wednesday, had his first two hits of the season, including a home run for the Red Sox, who have won five of their last seven despite the loss. Jacoby Ellsbury had an RBI, while David Ortiz went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to six games.

Young's solo home run to right in the first inning gave the Rangers the early edge. Texas plated another run off Dice-K in the second to build a two-run margin. Back-to-back singles from Murphy and Marlon Byrd put runners on first and second. Following two consecutive outs, Vizquel stroked an RBI single to left.

Murphy's double into the gap in left-center field scored Young and Cruz in the top of the third frame to extend Texas' gap to 4-0.

Padilla ran into trouble in the bottom of the inning, but kept the damage to just two runs. Jason Varitek walked, Kotsay singled, and Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases with one out. Ellsbury plated two runs when he reached base on second baseman Ian Kinsler's error. Kevin Youkilis walked to load the bases again, but Padilla settled down and retired the next two batters to get out of the frame.

Kotsay's solo shot to right in the fourth cut the deficit to 4-3. It was Kotsay's first homer since August 14, 2008.

Cruz tripled to center and scored on a wild pitch from Dice-K in the fifth to put the Rangers ahead 5-3. Texas had another chance to score during its next at-bat, but Vizquel was thrown out at the plate after Kinsler doubled.

Cruz blasted a Hideki Okajima offering over the Green Monster in the seventh to give Texas a three-run cushion.

Darren O'Day and Wilson pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, to secure the victory for the Rangers.

Ellsbury left the game in the sixth inning with a right shoulder strain...The Red Sox are 40-14 in games versus the Rangers at Fenway Park since 1998...Boston has won 16 of its past 21 encounters with Texas, which has gone 4-10 as the visitor over that span...Boston was without J.D. Drew (left shoulder) on Sunday...The 2009 Red Sox Scholars were introduced during the pre-game ceremonies. A new graphic highlighting the relationship between the Scholars Program and presenting sponsor Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was unveiled on the left-field side of the Green Monster...The Red Sox will host the rival New York Yankees for a three-game set, starting Tuesday. The Rangers will host Toronto for a four-game series, beginning Monday.