David Ortiz was upset how he was swinging a night earlier. It didn’t take long to fix his swing.
Ortiz reached 20 homers for the 15th consecutive season on his first at-bat and drove in three runs, Steven Wright pitched efficiently into the seventh inning and the Boston Red Sox beat the sloppy Texas Rangers 11-6 on Wednesday night.
After his last at-bat in Tuesday’s loss, Ortiz cracked his bat in half over his knee after a broken-bat single. He felt a lot more focused his first time up Wednesday.
“I went deep today,” he said, with a wink and a smile.
Ortiz made it 2-0 in the first with his 523rd homer, a drive over the bullpens in right. He’s hit over 20 homers in each of his 14 seasons with Boston after exactly 20 his final year with Minnesota in 2002. The 40-yearold slugger has said he’s retiring after this season.
“Last night I feel like I was using my bottom hand too much,” Ortiz said. “I like to make adjustments real fast. You have to, the pitching is too good right now and you have to be on top of your game.”
Bryce Brentz drove in three runs with two singles and Ryan Hanigan had a two-run single for the Red Sox, who took two of three from the AL West-leading Rangers.
“Early two-run homer, clean first inning by Steven,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “That’s proved to be a successful combo.”
Prince Fielder hit a two-run homer for Texas, which has lost six of eight and finished a 10-game, three-city trip at 4-6.
“Obviously not how we wanted to finish the road trip,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “It will be nice to get back home, get to Arlington (Texas) and sleep in our own beds, show up tomorrow and hopefully put together four quality baseball games before the break.”
Wright (10-5) gave up six runs — five earned — and was pulled after Ian Desmond’s two-run triple with no outs in the seventh. The 31-year-old knuckleballer was voted an All-Star for the first time in his career.
Texas starter Martin Perez (7-5) was tagged for 11 runs — seven earned — in four innings.
The Red Sox opened an 11- 1 lead by scoring five runs in the second, two in the third and two more in the fourth.
In the second, they scored all the runs on two hits, capitalizing on three errors for four unearned runs. Hanigan had a bases-loaded, two-run single, Mookie Betts an RBI double and Ortiz a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Brentz had an RBI single and he added a two-run single the next inning.
The Rangers’ infield committed all three errors in the second — one each by second baseman Rougned Odor, shortstop Elvis Andrus and third baseman Adrian Beltre.
Notes — Fielder tied his father — Cecil — with his 319th homer. The elder Fielder played 13 seasons in the big leagues, 1985-98. “That’s pretty cool, man,” Prince said, when learning of the feat. … Red Sox outfielder Brock Holt got the night off to rest. … Third baseman Travis Shaw left with a bruised left foot and was scheduled for what the team called “precautionary XRays” today. … The Red Sox are off today and play host to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday at 7:10 p.m. RHP Sean O’Sullivan (2-0, 6.61) is in line to start against Tampa Bay RHP Chris Archer (4-11, 4.50).
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