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Game Story: Sox hold on, sweep Rangers »
May 27, 2007
ARLINGTON, Tex. -- The Red Sox have been winning games all sorts of way so far this season, and today they rolled out a new formula: Contributions from players who previously were struggling.
J.D. Drew, hitting only .161 (10-for-62) in the month of May going into today's game, contributed an RBI single in the two-run, eighth-inning rally that gave the Sox the lead, and Joel Piniero, he of the 9.35 ERA in his last six appearances, retired all five batters he faced and picked up the victory as Boston came from behind for a 6-5 win over the Rangers and a sweep of the three-game weekend series.
Mike Lowell broke a 4-4 tie with a run-scoring single in the eighth for the Sox, who also got a three-run homer from Jason Varitek (third inning) and a solo shot from Dustin Pedroia (in the ninth after a 12-pitch at-bat against Rangers closer Eric Gagne).
Hideki Okajima, called on to close things out because Jonathan Papelbon, who had worked two consecutive days, was unavailable, pitched the ninth and recorded his third save, despite allowing a run on an RBI single by Mark Teixeira (who had hit a three-run homer off starter Julian Tavarez in the sixth).
The Sox now lead the A.L. East by 12 games in the loss column over the Orioles, Blue Jays and Yankees, all of whom have 27 losses. Boston is 34-15.
Posted by Sean McAdam 
at 6:16 PM | Permalink
