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ARLINGTON, Texas -- There are no scoring debates when Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hits towering home runs and scorching liners into the right-field corner.Derrick Morgan Jersey . A night after Boston managed only one hit off Texas ace Yu Darvish, though Ortiz believes it should be two, the Red Sox were hitting from the start Saturday in an 8-3 win over the Rangers. "The attitude in the clubhouse early before the game was nothing about last night," manager John Farrell said. "It was more about how we were going to attack (Martin) Perez, and we did a very good job." Ortiz broke up Darvishs no-hit bid Friday night with a clean single with two outs in the ninth inning. There was also his towering flyball in the seventh that dropped untouched but was ruled an error after Darvish had retired the first 20 Boston hitters -- a scoring decision Ortiz indicated Saturday that he will appeal, though he felt the Red Sox as a group put their struggles behind them. "Oh, you have to. Its not like theres any other choice," Ortiz said. "You got to come back and play the game." Shane Victorino had three singles and drove in four runs. Ortiz pulled the first pitch of the third off Perez (4-3) into the right-field seats for his seventh homer. His double came an inning later, when he scored as a part of a four-run outburst for a 6-0 Red Sox lead. Asked about the unquestionable hits he had this time, Ortiz laughed, licked his thumb and made a motion with it to match what he said, "Turn the page." Jon Lester (4-4) limited Texas to three runs and four hits over seven innings. The lefty, coming off a career-high 15 strikeouts in a week earlier against Oakland, struck out eight more to match Detroits Max Scherzer at 66 for the American League lead. "I got away with a lot of pitches, we were able to keep them off balance just enough to get some foul balls and some bad contact," Lester said. "Definitely a grind tonight." The Rangers didnt have a base runner against Lester until Shin-Soo Choo led off the fourth with a double to deep centre beyond the reach of centre fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. He came home on a sacrifice fly by Prince Fielder before Alex Rios added an RBI triple. Boston went ahead to stay in the second after loading the bases with two outs. Victorino singled to centre to drive in a run, but Bradley was thrown out at the plate trying to score a second run. The homer by Ortiz was his 380th with the Red Sox, breaking a tie with Dwight Evans for fourth on the career list. Jim Rice is third on the list at 382. It was his 19th homer at Texas, one short of Jason Giambi for the most by an opponent there. Victorino and Jonny Gomes each had two-run singles in the fourth. Perez lost his third consecutive start since the end of his 26-inning scoreless streak. The left-hander allowed six runs and 14 base runners (nine hits, four walks and a hit batter) in only 3 2-3 innings. "I dont know if somethings out of whack, but it didnt seem like he could get in a rhythm," manager Ron Washington said. Perez has given up 19 runs over 13 1-3 innings the past three games, and his ERA has more than tripled in that span -- from 1.42 to 4.38. "Too many balls, man. Trying to overthrow," Perez said. "I think I get mad and when I get mad I lose my mind. ... And I think that happened with me tonight." Notes: Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, who significantly trimmed his beard reminiscent of Abraham Lincolns, stretched his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI double in the fifth. ... Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux was ejected in the eighth inning by first-base umpire Vic Carapazza. Washington said it was for arguing balls and strikes. .... Boston RH John Lackey, a Texas native, is scheduled in Sundays season series finale to make his 20th career road start against the Rangers. That will break his tie with Seattles Felix Hernandez for the most by a Texas opponent. ... Texas lefty Robbie Ross (1-3), who starts Sunday, has lost three straight starts and each of his past two games have ended as 12-1 Rangers losses. Kamerion Wimbley Tennessee Titans . -- Dwight Howard vs. Chris Spencer Jersey . On Tuesday, they did it again. Roy Hibbert scored 22 points and Lance Stephenson fell just short of his fourth triple double this season, helping the Pacers hold off Torontos late charge for an 86-79 victory that allowed them to keep the NBAs best record. MELBOURNE, Australia -- The scorching weather finally brought play to a halt on the fourth day of the Australian Open when the temperature topped 43F (109F), but not soon enough for some players who criticized officials for not stopping matches earlier. The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts. It was the first time since 2009 play had been halted due to heat at the Australian Open. For Maria Sharapova, playing at Rod Laver Arena, the call came too late. The rule dictates the roof cant be closed until the end of a set in progress, so she was forced to finish a grueling third set against Italian Karin Knapp under the blazing sun. "Everyone knows there is no tiebreaker in the third set (at the Australian Open), so once you start that set, youre going to be out there until youre done," she said after closing out the 3 1/2-hour match, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Other players wilted in the heat. American Varvara Lepchenko received medical treatment during her match against 11th-seeded Romanian Simona Halep, lying flat on her back during a changeover as trainers rubbed iced on her body. "At first I didnt understand what was going on but then my legs, my arms started to get heavier. I couldnt focus at one point and started feeling dizzier and dizzier," she said. She continued but only won one more game in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 defeat. "They definitely should have just not started the matches in the first place," she said. ";And the same goes for a couple of days ago when I played my (first) match. Eddie George Tennessee Titans. " The heat wave began Tuesday when the temperature peaked at 42C (108F). The tournament referee did not halt play then because the Extreme Heat Policy also takes into account other factors, such as humidity and wind speed. The distinction is lost on the players, who have grumbled all week about the conditions which some have described as inhumane and dangerous. On Tuesday, Canadian Frank Dancevic blacked out and hallucinated during his match, while Chinas Peng Shuai vomited and suffered cramps. No. 25-seeded Alize Cornet of France sobbed on court Thursday after her draining 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Italian Camila Giorgi, then blasted officials for not halting play sooner. "On Tuesday, I dont know why they didnt stop matches," she said. "It was an oven. An oven. It was burning. Why today and not Tuesday?" The heat hasnt just affected players -- its also kept fans away. Total attendance was just 49,860 on Wednesday, down from Mondays high of 63,595. The unshaded seats on the outer courts were virtually empty Thursday, with spectators congregating under trees or in the upper reaches of stands where temporary covers provided a little relief. New Zealander Helen Naylor escaped the sun after watching fellow Kiwi Marina Erakovic play for a bit on Court 13. "Even the seats are really hot -- God knows how (the players) are running around out there." Relief is as least in sight. Friday will be another scorcher, with an expected high of 44C (111F), but Saturday it will only reach 23C (73F). That may feel downright chilly by comparison. ' ' ' |
