ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nick Pivetta allowed a run and three hits in a season-long seven innings to win for the first time since August and the Boston Red Sox had a four-run sixth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 7-1 on Friday night.
J.D. Martinez began Boston’s big inning by lining a single to left field that skipped at Brad Miller’s feet. The hit extended Martinez’s hitting streak to 14 games and his on-base streak to 29 games to last September, both the longest active streaks in the major leagues.
Pivetta (1-4) ended a personal seven-game losing streak over 13 starts. His previous win was Aug. 13, 2021, over Baltimore. He struck out four and walked one. His shutout bid ended in the seventh inning when Kole Calhoun tripled to center and scored on a wild pitch.
The Red Sox have won two of their last three games following a season-long five-game losing streak that put them in last place in the AL East.
Calhoun had three of Texas’ four hits.
Pivetta pitched six scoreless innings in his previous start last Saturday at home against the Chicago White Sox but came away with no decision in a 3-1 Boston loss.
Alex Verdugo and Franchy Cordero had RBI doubles in the sixth inning.
Xander Bogaerts came in leading the American League in batting and went 2-for-5, with two RBI, and raised his average from .345 to .347.
Martinez added a ground-rule double in the seventh inning.
Dane Dunning (1-2) allowed one run on two singles going into the sixth. He left with two outs and was charged with five runs on six hits with six strikeouts, two walks and a wild pitch.
Dunning came off his only win of the season last Saturday at home, holding the world champion Atlanta Braves to one run over a career-high 7 2/3 innings.
AS FOR OTHER STREAKS
Rangers 1B Nathaniel Lowe singled in the fifth to end an 0-for-22 drought. … Red Sox CF Kike Hernandez dumped a single into shallow right in the ninth inning to also snap an 0-for-22. Hernandez also scored following the first of his two walks and was hit by a pitch. … Texas 2B Marcus Semien went 0-for-4 and is hitless in his last 21 at-bats. … Rangers 3B Andy Ibanez is hitless in his last 19 at-bats after going 0-for-3.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox LF Alex Verdugo left the game in the seventh inning with a right-foot contusion.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Rich Hill (0-1, 2.86 ERA) rejoined the team on Friday and is expected to make his first start since May 5, being on the COVID list and then the bereavement/family medical emergency list.
Rangers: RHP Glenn Otto (1-0, 3.14) threw 86 pitches Sunday against the New York Yankees, the most of his two-year big-league career, and matched his career high throwing five innings in a game that Texas won 4-2.
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