Crawford carries perfect game into 6th inning, Wong hits 3-run HR as Red Sox beat Rangers 9-4

BOSTON (AP) Kutter Crawford carried a perfect game into the sixth inning and Connor Wong highlighted a 12-hit attack with a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox beat the slumping Texas Rangers 9-4 on Tuesday night.

Rob Refsnyder and Nick Sogard each drove in a pair of runs as the Red Sox dealt Texas its third straight loss and its sixth setback in seven games. Crawford was able to retire the first 16 batters he faced and got enough offensive support for Boston to hold on against the Rangers.

“I felt pretty good obviously,” said Crawford, who was perfect longer than any Boston pitcher since Rick Porcello was perfect through 5 1/3 at Oakland on Sept. 3, 2016. “The first five, I was kind of on cruise control. I was able to execute some pitches and got some quick outs. They were aggressive and I was able to take advantage of that.”

The defending World Series champion Rangers also dropped a season-worst 10 games below .500 at 55-65. Texas manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the middle of the sixth after arguing a called third strike that ended a four-run rally as the Rangers got back into the game.

Boston won for just the second time in six games despite some shaky relief after Crawford was lifted in the sixth.

Crawford (8-9) wound up working 5 1/3 innings before the Rangers broke through. Carson Kelly broke up Crawford’s perfect start and no-hit bid with out in the sixth, lining a single to left and kicking off Texas’ first rally of the game. Leody Taveras followed with a single up the middle and Marcus Semien broke up the shutout bid with a double to left, driving in Kelly for the Rangers’ first run.

“In the sixth, I ran into some trouble. But overall, the offense did a great job in scoring a bunch of runs again,” Crawford said. “... When I take the mound, every start that’s kind of what I’m shooting for.”

Crawford was pulled after Semien’s double and received a warm ovation from the fans at Fenway Park. They were less forgiving when reliever Cam Booser allowed an RBI single to Josh Smith, and walked Adolis García and Nathaniel Lowe with the bases loaded. That was it for Booser, who left to a chorus of boos with Boston’s lead cut to 6-4.

Boston manager Alex Cora said the Rangers showed just how quickly they can turn around a game.

“They’re good hitters," Cora said.

The Red Sox scored five in the fifth, loading the bases with one out on a single by Ceddanne Rafaela, David Hamilton’s double and a walk by Masataka Yoshida. Refsnyder, who had the game-winning hit Monday in Boston’s 6-5, 10-inning victory, lined a single up the middle, driving in two runs and giving Boston a 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Wong cleared the bases with a homer to left that put Boston up 6-0 and chased José Ureña.

Wong wasn't sure his hit toward the left-field pole was going to have the height to clear Fenway's Green Monster. But, he went deep for the 11th time this season and helped the Red Sox to their 50th game with at least 10 hits.

Ureña pitched 4 ⅔ innings, allowing six runs, all earned, on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Bochy had some words for home-plate umpire Erich Bacchus and crew chief Laz Diaz after Wyatt Langford was called out looking at strike three on a pitch from reliever Lucas Sims. Langford felt the pitch was low and outside and immediately turned toward Bacchus. Bochy came out of the dugout with a few more words for Bacchus and Diaz before Bacchus tossed the Texas skipper.

Boston added three insurance runs in the eighth after Dominic Smith blooped a single to shallow right, where three Texas players converged only to watch it drop, loading the bases with no outs. Nick Sogard followed with a single to right that scored Wong and Wilyer Abreu,.

NOT AGAIN

Just a week ago, the Rangers were close to being held hitless through eight innings against Houston's Framber Valdez. Corey Seager, who was 0 for 3 against the Red Sox, broke up Valdez's bid with a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth. Houston held on to win 4-2.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi was not with the club and will miss his next scheduled start on Wednesday. Eovaldi, who won a World Series title with the Red Sox in 2018, left his start Saturday at the Yankees after three innings because of soreness in his right side. Manager Bruce Bochy said before Tuesday’s game that the Rangers want to give Eovaldi a few extra days of rest before putting him back in the rotation.

Red Sox: LHP James Paxton, placed on the 15-day injured list with what was thought to be a strained right calf, said Tuesday it was actually a partially torn muscle. Cora said it was a “long shot” that Paxton, who came to Boston from the Dodgers in a trade last month, will be able to pitch again this season, but was hopeful Paxton could improve over the next few weeks.

UP NEXT

The Rangers did not announce a starter to take Nathan Eovaldi’s spot in the rotation for Wednesday’s series finale. The Red Sox will start RHP Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.02 ERA).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb