ARLINGTON, Texas -- It was a soft liner that just eluded Texas Rangers' shortstop Elvis Andrus' glove, but it was all the Red Sox needed to snap a four-game losing streak and defeat the Texas Rangers for the first time in four tries this season.
Mike Avlies drove a soft single just beyond Andrus, scoring Daniel Nava from second in the top of the ninth, giving the Red Sox a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Rangers.
The Sox, limited to a single run the night before in the series opener, had just three hits after the fourth inning, but the last one was all they needed.
Vicente Padilla, never popular while with the Rangers, made more enemies by hitting Adrian Beltre in the head in the eighth inning, but got credit for the win.
Alfredo Aceves got his 21st save in the ninth.
Starter Clay Buchholz pitched well, limiting a tough Texas lineup to a single run over seven innings.
Texas tied the game in the sixth off Buchholz. Andrus led off with a double to right, took third on a wild pitch and, going on contact, scored when Josh Hamilton hit a bouncer to the right of the mound just past a sprawling Buchholz.
Boston Red Sox
The Sox had taken a 1-0 lead in the fourth when, after a leadoff walk to Cody Ross, Kelly Shoppach drove a pitch to the warning track in right which outfielder David Murphy momentarily gloved, only to have the ball pop out for a run-scoring double.