Jose Trevino celebrates with third-base coach Tony Beasley after hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer in the sixth inning Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox. Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas catcher Jose Trevino hit a tiebreaking two-run homer soon after his battery mate’s final pitch, helping push Kyle Gibson and the Rangers to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox in a series opener Thursday night.
Trevino’s first homer of the season came on the second pitch thrown by reliever Hirokazu Sawamura with two outs in the sixth.
The Red Sox had only three hits, their fourth game in a row with five or less. The AL East leaders had won the previous three.
Boston tied the game 1-1 against Gibson (3-0) in the top of the sixth when Rafael Devers hit an RBI double on a full-count pitch. That snapped the Texas right-hander’s home scoreless streak at 25 2/3 innings, dating to last season and matching the second longest in Arlington since 1994. Alex Verdugo scored after leading off the inning with a double to deep center.
Sawamura took over with two outs in the bottom half of the inning for former Rangers lefty Martín Pérez (0-2), with a runner on base after an error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Trevino drove an 88 mph slider 411 feet over the wall into the Red Sox bullpen in left-center for a 3-1 lead.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered to straightaway center off Sawamura in the seventh, as center fielder Kiké Hernández ran into the wall and fell to the ground.
Gibson struck out four and walked three while giving up one run in his six innings. He has allowed three earned runs over 33 innings (0.82 ERA) over his last five starts since retiring only one batter in his first-ever Opening Day start – the shortest in franchise history.
Ian Kennedy struck out two in a perfect ninth for his fifth save in as many attempts after John King and Joely Rodriguez each worked a hitless and scoreless inning.
Pérez struck out seven without a walk, though he did hit a batter in his 5 2/3 innings.
The Rangers led 1-0 on Adolis Garcia’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in center, when Hernández made a nice running catch with his glove extended high above his head. Joey Gallo scored from third after opening the inning with an opposite-field double and taking the extra base when left fielder Alex Verdugo’s throw got past third baseman Devers, as well as Bogaerts and Perez.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: DH J.D. Martinez was replaced by a pinch-hitter in the eighth. The Red Sox said Martinez came out of the game because of migraine-related symptoms. Manager Alex Cora said switch-hitting utility player Danny Santana (foot infection, left elbow surgery recovery) will start a rehab assignment with Greenville on Tuesday when the Class A team opens the the minor league season.
Rangers: Left fielder David Dahl was hit by a pitch near his right elbow when the left-handed hitter was batting against Pérez in the fifth. Dahl stayed in the game.
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