ARLINGTON -- The Red Sox needed a few extra innings to do it, but they overcame a blown save by Craig Kimbrel to take the first of a three-game series with the Rangers on Monday night, beating Texas, 7-5, in 11 innings at Globe Life Park.
"We haven't played very well here in the past, so it was a great win for us," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was 3-for-5 with four RBIs and made three fine defensive plays late in the game. 
Boston held a 5-4 lead entering the ninth inning. Kimbrel, who had held right-handed hitters to a .030 batting average entering the game, gave up a first-pitch homer to Mike Napoli, tying the game at 5. After a scoreless 10th, the Red Sox broke through in the 11th. Tzu-Wei Lin walked with one out, Mookie Betts doubled and then Pedroia was intentionally walked to load the bases. Andrew Benintendi then followed with a flare to left field over a drawn-in infield to bring home Lin and Betts.

"On that one, Benintendi, the likelihood of turning a double play there is very slim. Obviously you're in a tough situation," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "I don't know that there's anything in the book that you say play for a bloop. So you make a decision on playing in there. Set up a double play for yourself at home, a play at the plate, play at any base, there's a number of things that can happen."

The Rangers' bullpen allowed just two baserunners in 4 1/3 innings before Ernesto Frieri gave up two hits and a pair of walks in the 11th, and Texas has dropped six of its last eight games.
Boston has won five games in a row and seven out of eight. The Rangers had won 17 of their previous 26 meetings at Globe Life Park.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pinball wizard: After Napoli's homer, Carlos Gomez rolled over a ball to third with nobody out. Deven Marrero's throw went past first base, and Gomez rounded first and began heading to second. But the ball ricocheted off the wall, and Pedroia picked it up in shallow right field with his bare hand and threw back to Mitch Moreland, who tagged Gomez out trying to dive back safely.

"He brings it every day," Benintendi said of Pedroia. "He made some really nice plays there at the end of the game. He could have saved the game." More >
Betts' clutch double leads to winning runs: After Frieri got Marrero to fly out to center, he walked Lin, bringing Betts, who will replace Michael Trout in the starting lineup in next week's All-Star Game, to the plate. Betts cranked a double off the wall in left-center, just barely missing a homer. With runners on second and third, Pedroia was intentionally walked, and Benintendi's bloop single brought home the deciding runs.

"We walked the nine-hole hitter late, and then you bring the top of their lineup, the heart of their lineup up that is so challenging," Banister said. "You put yourself in situations where you give them that many opportunities, they're going to come through."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Rangers have hit 32 homers in their last 14 games compared to 11 for their opponents. They've also hit 39 homers on the first pitch of an at-bat, the most of any team in the Major Leagues.

The Red Sox are 7-1 in extra-inning games this season and are 6-2 in contests that last more than four hours.

WHAT'S NEXT
Red Sox: Lefty David Price gets the start after earning the win in two of his last three outings. Other than a rough outing June 8 against the Yankees, Price has been solid this season; he is 3-1 with a 3.75 ERA in his other six starts. First pitch is slated for 8:05 p.m. ET.
Rangers: Right-hander Yu Darvish makes his 18th start of the season at 7:05 p.m. CT. Darvish is 0-1 with a 1.38 ERA in his last two starts, and he holds a 1-1 record with a 3.63 ERA in three career starts against Boston.
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