Abreu hits two home runs as Red Sox beat Rangers 7-2

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Wilyer Abreu hit two home runs and tied a career high with four RBIs, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

Boston leadoff hitter Jarren Duran, who had three hits, hit a game-tying home run for the second time in less than three weeks at the Rangers’ home.

The first of those two shots made Duran the American League MVP in a 5-3 All-Star victory on July 16. The second added to his official total a solo shot that was his 14th and gave Boston a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning.

Corey Seager hit his third home run of the series for Texas — his 22nd of the season — and Josh Jung had his first hit in his fifth game back since missing three months with a broken right wrist.

The home runs gave the defending World Series champions a 2-0 lead and were the only hits allowed by Nick Pivetta, who was thrown out just short of qualifying for the win. The right-hander struck out five batters in 4 2/3 innings.

Rookie Cam Booser (2-2) pitched a perfect 1 1/3 inning, the first of four Boston relievers to retire 13 of the 14 Texas batters they faced.

David Hamilton also hit a home run for Boston, his sixth.

Abreu sparked his first career multihomer game with a game-tying solo shot in the fourth inning off Nathan Eovaldi.

The Texas right-hander’s streak without a walk ended at 43 1/3 innings and 167 batters, both franchise records, when Masataka Yoshida got a one-out free pass in the first.

Walter Pennington made his Texas debut in relief of Eovaldi (8-5) with two men on base and no outs in the sixth inning, and Abreu greeted the left-hander with a three-run shot, his 12th of the season, for a 6-2 lead.

Pennington was playing in the minor leagues when the Rangers acquired him in a trade with Kansas City on July 29. His major league debut and only other appearance came with the Royals on July 5.

TRAINERS’ ROOM

Red Sox: Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was available off the bench a day after staying at the team hotel with an illness. … Manager Alex Cora said right-handed starting pitcher Chris Martin (elbow inflammation) could skip a rehab appearance and be available out of the bullpen for the Red Sox on Wednesday night at Kansas City.

Rangers: Left-handed pitcher Jacob Latz was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left forearm tightness. Left-handed pitcher Brock Burke was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take Latz’s spot in the bullpen. … Outfielder Wyatt Langford was out of the lineup for the second straight day. Manager Bruce Bochy said the rookie has back tightness.

FOLLOWING

Red Sox: Left-handed pitcher James Paxton (8-3, 4.52 ERA) is expected to make his second start in Boston since being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It will be the opener of a three-game series at Kansas City on Monday night.

Rangers: Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney (4-11, 4.12 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Houston.