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Official Recap: Texas 4, Boston 2

Boston, MA (Sports Network) – C.J. Wilson struck out a career-high 10 in 6 2/3 effective innings, and the Texas Rangers won a four-game series in Boston for the first time in 15 years with a 4-2 victory over the Red Sox.

Wilson (8-5) allowed just one run on three hits and five walks to earn only his second road win of the season, although both have come in Boston.

Elvis Andrus had three hits and scored a run, while Nelson Cruz went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI for the Rangers, who won three games in this series to take a four-game set at Fenway for the first time since July 13-16, 1995.

Neftali Feliz earned his 24th save.

Mike Cameron homered for the third time in six games, but the Red Sox lost for the eighth time in 11 games to weaken their position in the three-team AL East playoff chase. Jon Lester (11-4) had his six-game home win streak snapped after yielding four runs — three earned — on nine hits and three walks while fanning six in eight innings.

Facing a three-run deficit in the ninth, Boston threatened to get back into the contest.

Cameron greeted Feliz with a homer over the Green Monster for a 4-2 game, and Bill Hall reached when his slow ground ball up the middle wasn't handled by second baseman Ian Kinsler. Feliz, though, settled down to strike out Kevin Cash and J.D. Drew before getting Marco Scutaro to line out to shortstop to end the game.

The Red Sox grabbed the lead in the second on Adrian Beltre's RBI double, but the Rangers went ahead for good in the fourth.

Lester retired the first two batters of the inning, but Josh Hamilton singled to left to send Cruz to the plate. Cruz doubled to left, scoring Hamilton ahead of the throw, and Cruz attempted to take third. Catcher Dustin Brown quickly fired to third, but Beltre couldn't come up with the throw, allowing Cruz to score easily as the ball bounced away for a 2-1 lead.

With runners on the corners and one out in the fifth, Texas executed a perfect double steal to add another run. Andrus drew a throw to second as Michael Young struck out, and Julio Borbon crossed the plate on the play for a two-run advantage.

Meanwhile, Wilson didn't allow a runner past first in the third, fourth or fifth before Scutaro led off the home sixth with a double. Wilson, though, retired three of the next four hitters -- issuing a two-out walk to Kevin Youkilis before striking out Beltre to end the inning.

After Wilson's outing ended in the seventh, Darren O'Day escaped the inning without any trouble, and the Rangers added an insurance run in the eighth on Kinsler's RBI single. Andrus was called safe on a close play at the plate, much to the dismay of the Boston crowd.

Game Notes

The Rangers' Vladimir Guerrero started in left field for the first time in his career. The only other times he has played that position as a professional came in the 2000 and 2006 All-Star Games...Texas leads the season series, 4-3...The Rangers have won 12 of their last 15 road games...O'Day has a 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak over his last 19 outings...Despite the series win, Texas is only 17-44 in Boston since 1998...The Red Sox will begin a 10-game road trip against the three other AL West teams starting on Monday...Lester last lost a home start on April 18...The Red Sox sold out Fenway Park on Sunday, marking the 600th consecutive sellout at the stadium, dating back to 2003 -- a franchise record.

Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.