Red Sox knuckle under with mistakes in 10-3 loss at Texas

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright's AL-leading ERA didn't take too much of a hit even after giving up a career-high eight runs.

Elvis Andrus chased Wright (8-5) with a bases-loaded triple in the fifth, part of a five-run inning when all the runs were unearned after two Boston errors and a passed ball. Texas held on to the big lead this time, winning 10-3 late Saturday night.

Wright's ERA rose only from 2.01 to 2.18 after giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out four and walked two.

"I felt like I couldn't throw a good (knuckleball) over the plate, so I had to rely a lot on my fastball," Wright said. "When I do that, it's usually not going to be a good day for me."

After Andrus tripled to the wall in the left-center field gap to make it 7-3, he came home on a wild pitch by reliever Robbie Ross Jr.

The Red Sox are 12-16 over the last month, including an 8-7 win Friday night at Texas when they overcame an early 6-0 lead and scored four times with two outs in the ninth to take the lead.

"It was a collective team effort," Andrus said. "A game like yesterday happens. ... Our bullpen bounced back. We gave them some support, and they did the rest."

Hanley Ramirez homered for Boston, his eight of the season - and fourth in 11 games and none his previous 29 games.

That put the Red Sox up 1-0 in the second, but the Rangers got even in the fourth on Ian Desmond's leadoff homer before Mitch Moreland's tiebreaking two-run single at put Texas ahead to stay.

"On a night when (Wright) didn't have the consistency of the knuckleball that we've see for many of his start, he went to his fastball a bit more," manager John Farrell said "They got some base hits."

Cesar Ramos (2-3), the third Texas pitcher, pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The lefty struck out consecutive batters after taking over with runners and second and third, and one out in the sixth.

The scheduled 8:20 p.m. CDT first pitch was the latest ever for a Rangers home game. They opted against a day game, and that was the earliest they could play at night after Fox's national exclusive TV window and still broadcast their game regionally. The game ended a few minutes before midnight.

Mookie Betts had an RBI single in the fifth to get Boston within 3-2 and the bases were loaded when Dustin Pedroia grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Jackie Bradley Jr. had an RBI double in the sixth, and the Red Sox still had runners at second and third when Cesar Ramos took over and stuck out consecutive batters to end that threat.

The Rangers presented 40-year-old retiring slugger David Ortiz with a pair of custom Lucchese Italian goat leather boots before the game. Both boots had the Red Sox logo and his No. 34 on them, with "Big" inscribed on one of them and "Papi" on the other.

Ortiz then went 0 for 3 with a walk, ending his 17-game hitting streak at Texas since 2009 that had been the longest active streak at the Rangers' ballpark - and the longest ever by a Boston player. He broke a bat over his thigh after a flyout in the fourth.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Bradley had two inning-ending running catches with runners in scoring position, going a long way in the second and making a late lunge for a catch in shallow center without tumbling to the ground, and ran down a fly ball deep in the left-center gap in the fourth. LF Bryce Brentz had back-to-back plays to start the third, a running catch on the warning track in the left-center gap and then deep into the left field corner. "The defense made some great plays," Wright said. "So it could have been a lot worse."

SHORT HOPS

Wright has allowed only 17 extra-base hits in 15 starts this season. ... The Rangers have the American League's best record at 48-27.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: C Ryan Hanigan (neck strain) is scheduled to catch nine innings in consecutive games Tuesday and Wednesday for Triple-A Pawtucket in his rehab. ... Utility player Brock Holt (33 games missed after a concussion) will get re-evaluated after playing Sunday at Pawtucket, and could rejoin the Red Sox next week in Tampa Bay.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Clay Buchholz is 1-5 with a 4.10 ERA in seven career starts against the Rangers. The Texas native makes his second consecutive start after his five previous appearances were out of the bullpen.