manager Washington challenged

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A.J. Pierzynski and Mike Napoli had run-producing hits in the first inning against their former team and the Boston Red Sox got above .500 for the first time since three games into the season with a series-clinching 5-2 victory at Texas on Sunday. Napoli put the Red Sox ahead to stay with an RBI double, two batters before Pierzynskis two-run single. Both went to Boston as free agents after being in Texas -- Pierzynski was the Rangers primary catcher last season, and Napoli was there the previous two years. John Lackey (5-2) struck out nine while allowing two runs over seven innings. The big right-hander threw 75 of 105 pitches for strikes without any walks. Rangers lefty Robbie Ross (1-4) made it through 6 2-3 innings and a career-high 112 pitches, settling down after being down 4-0 after two innings. Koji Uehara, who also went from Texas to Boston in 2013, worked a perfect ninth for his ninth save straight save. The Red Sox (19-18) won the last two games in the series after being held to one hit by Yu Darvish Friday night. They have won six of their last eight games, and have a winning record for the first time since winning two of three in the season-opening series at Baltimore. Shin-Soo Choo homered for the Rangers, who have lost 10 of 14 overall and dropped seven of their last nine home games. Dustin Pedroias two-out solo homer in the seventh chased Ross, and was the first Red Sox hit since Jonny Gomes one-out single in the third. Ross faced the minimum 13 batters between that, with only one runner reaching on an error being wiped out on a double play grounder. It was the second homer for Pedroia, who led off the game with a double before Napoli drove him home. Lackey, a Texas native, made his 20th road start against the Rangers, surpassing Seattles Felix Hernandez for the most. Lackey is 14-15 overall with a 5.71 ERA in his career against Texas -- those are his most losses and highest ERA against any AL team. Choos fourth homer was an opposite-field shot to left-centre in the fourth to make it 4-1. Mitch Moreland had an RBI double in the seventh before Lackey struck out his final two batters with two runners on base. Notes: Boston is 10-4 against left-handed starters. ... This is the earliest Boston and Texas have completed a season series, which the Red Sox won 4-2. The Rangers had won the series each of the previous five seasons. .... Texas is 31-18 vs. Boston since 2009, still the best record by any Red Sox opponent in that span. ... Red Sox 3B Will Middlebrooks was scratched with soreness in his right hand after being hit by a pitch Saturday night. The Red Sox said it was a precautionary move and expect him to be available for their next game Tuesday. ... Napoli has reached base in 31 consecutive games. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre, shifted toward shortstop, made a back-handed scoop catch after running a long way for David Ortizs popup near the foul line to end the second. ... Boston is off Monday, its third of four scheduled off days in a 22-day span. Alan Page Jersey . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. John Randle Jersey . Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, the bandleader of the beard brigade during Bostons run to the 2013 World Series title, said he will be shaving his off before spring training so that he can file it "in the archive" with his memories of the teams improbable championship. http://www.vikingsauthenticshoponline.com/Youth-Sharrif-Floyd-Elite-Jersey/ . The CFL club is making the move after holding its camp and regular-season practices at the University of Toronto campus in Mississauga, Ont. Shamar Stephen Jersey . He chirped to the caddie of Brandt Snedeker about their money game, a Mickelson tradition at the majors. Lefty was in good spirits Monday at the British Open, except for having to return the claret jug. Tom Johnson Jersey . After falling 5-0 on home ice in a game that could have tied them for second in the wild card standings, Washington head coach Adam Oates had some strong words for Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Sonny Gray came off the mound and into the Oakland dugout after the eighth inning purposely trying to avoid contact with manager Bob Melvin. Gray, clearly the best pitcher on this night in a matchup against Rangers ace Yu Darvish, wanted to finish what he started. "I normally talk to him, share a laugh, make something up," Gray said. "I put my head down and he goes, How are you feeling? I just yelled Great!" and kept walking. ... Yeah, I wanted to go back out there." The right-hander did pitch the ninth, wrapping up a three-hitter for his first career complete game as the Athletics beat Texas 4-0 Monday night in Darvishs shortest outing in the major leagues. Grey (4-1) allowed only three singles while striking out six. He threw 73 of 108 pitches for strikes in his 16th career start. "I felt like telling him he better getting it done under 110 (pitches), but thats probably the wrong thing to tell a guy when he goes out for the ninth," Melvin said with a smile. "Usually he looks at me and has a conversation with me when hes coming in and he didnt even look at me after the eighth." Texas got only one runner to third base against the 24-year-old Gray, who threw two wild pitches in the sixth after Robinson Chirinos singled. Darvish (1-1) was gone after 3 1-3 innings, pulled after walking No. 9 batter Eric Sogard for the second time. Those were the only two walks for the right-hander, who allowed four runs and six hits while throwing 83 pitches (45 strikes). Darvish is winless his last nine home starts. "The first few innings I thought he mixed (pitches) pretty good," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "I thought he tried to throw everything at them. ... They found a way to put balls in play. They found a way to score runs." Josh Donaldson had a two-run single in the third, and the As made it 4-0 an inning later when Josh Reddick had an RBI triple and came home on Daric Bartons sacrifice fly. Oakland and Texas entered tied for the AL West lead and the leagues best record at 15-10. The Rangers, shut out for the first time this season, had swept a three-game series in Oakland last week. Grey walked Rangers leadoff hitter Michael Choice, but got out of the first with a fielders choice grounder and a 4-5-3 double play with three Oakland infielders shifted to right side against Prince Fielder. "The first couple of hitters it looked like what he usually does in the firrst where from time to time," Melvin said.dddddddddddd"After that it was as well of a pitched game as Ive seen in a while." Choice grounded into an inning-ending double play in the third after the bottom two batters reached base. Darvish made his 66th start for Texas since signing from Japan before the 2012 season. His shortest previous MLB outing had been four innings at Seattle his rookie season, though he went only 1 1-3 innings in Japan start in 2006. Darvish struck out four, but three of those came in the first five batters of the game. The As are 7-1 in their nine games against Darvish, who last week got a no-decision in Oakland after going six innings and leaving a 3-3 tie before Texas won 4-3. After Donaldsons big hit, a bouncer through the left side of the infield out of the reach of diving third baseman Adrian Beltre, the As had the bases reloaded on a one-out single by Brandon Moss. Moss was thrown out retreating to first on a pitch that got away from catcher Chirinos, though the runner was originally ruled safe before Rangers manager Washington challenged and got the play overturned by replay. When Moss slid back in, his foot was against first baseman Fielders foot -- and not the base -- while being tagged. Washington lost a challenge in the eighth when thought Reddick was out on a pickoff attempt diving back to first with Barton batting. Reddick was called safe, and replay confirmed the call before Barton hit a deep flyball. Centre fielder Leonys Martin made a leaping catch on the warning back and threw to first base. Reddick was initially called safe by crew chief Jeff Nelson, who then initiated a replay and changed his call for an inning-ending double play. "Thats a first, two replays with the same guy sliding into the same base," Melvin said. "Thats part of the game now." NOTES: Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo was out of the starting lineup for the sixth consecutive game because of a left ankle sprain, but flew out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. ... As OF Yoenis Cespedes missed his fourth game in a row (strained left hamstring). Manager Bob Melvin said its 50-50 hell be back in the starting lineup Tuesday. ... Game 2 features a standout matchup of left-handers. Oaklands Scott Kazmir (3-0, 1.62 ERA) pitches against Martin Perez (4-0, 1.42), who has thrown 26 consecutive scoreless innings his last three starts. Perez has two consecutive three-hit shutouts, the last coming Wednesday in Oakland. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '