BOSTON – Chris Sale was not at his dominating best and needed support. He got plenty of it Wednesday night as the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 9-4 at Fenway Park.

Boston trailed 3-1 before scoring seven runs in the seventh inning. Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run single in the rally.

Sale (5-2) gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits – including a Mike Napoli solo home run. He left with one out in the eighth inning.

Sale struck out six, ending his streak of 10-strikeout games at eight. Only Sale and Pedro Martinez have recorded eight straight 10-strikeout games in a season. It was Sale’s second such streak.

Texas starter Martin Perez had not allowed a hit until Deven Marrero’s two-out single to center field in the third inning. Marrero stole second and scored on Mookie Betts’ single up the middle, a grounder just past diving second baseman Rougned Odor

Texas tied it in the fourth (walk, passed ball, groundout, Elvis Andrus’ sacrifice fly) and scored twice in the fifth, on Napoli’s home run over the Monster and Joey Gallo’s RBI single.

In the seventh, Andrew Benintendi singled with one out. Sam Travis – making his major league debut – got his second single of the night with a line drive to center.

RBI followed from pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland (single), pinch-hitter Josh Rutledge (single), Pedroia, Chris Young (walk) and Benintendi (sacrifice fly). Another run scored on a wild pitch.

Reliever Sam Dyson (1-5) gave up four runs in the inning.

Texas got one back in the eighth, chasing Sale. But Betts added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.

The Red Sox (24-21) won their third straight, while Texas dropped to 24-23.

NOTES: In Triple-A Pawtucket, David Price made his second rehab start, needing 89 pitches for 3 2/3 innings. He allowed six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk, while striking out four … Pablo Sandoval also played in Pawtucket, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a strikeout.

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