BOSTON — Right-hander Phil Klein, summoned from the minor leagues to make his first major league start, and four relievers combined on a nine-hitter that gave the Texas Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Klein, who yielded five hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings in six relief appearances earlier this season, allowed one run and five hits in 5 1/3 innings against Boston for his second big-league win. He made 23 relief appearances in 2014 and 2015.
Left-hander Alex Claudio and right-hander Tanner Scheppers each got an out to escape a bases-loaded situation in the sixth and Scheppers escaped trouble in the seventh as the Rangers (17-23) won for the third time in the last eight games.
Right-hander Ross Ohlendorf worked the eighth and right-hander Shawn Tolleson, auditioning for the open closer’s role, pitched the ninth for his first major league save.
It wasn’t easy.
Center fielder Mookie Betts collected his second hit of the game, a double, with one out in the ninth. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia then drove left fielder Delino DeShields back to the wall for the second out. The Rangers put the winning run on by walking DH David Ortiz for the second straight time and the third time in two nights before left fielder Hanley Ramirez grounded out to end it.
Catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a solo home run and shortstop Elvin Andrus delivered a sacrifice fly off hard-luck loser Joe Kelly (1-3), who is 0-3 with four no-decisions since winning his first start of the season.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit a solo homer for the Red Sox (19-21), who failed in an attempt to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 12-12.
Third baseman Adrian Beltre had two hits and center fielder Leonys Martin added a double for Texas.
First baseman Mike Napoli and right fielder Shane Victorino stroked two hits apiece for Boston. Victorino came off the bench to go 2-for-2.
The Rangers, who struggled defensively Tuesday night in a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox, helped Klein out defensively at the start. Martin ranged far into left center to snare Betts’ leadoff drive in the first inning, making an outstanding backhand grab.
Texas left fielder Delino DeShields made two running catches in the second.
With two outs in the home fourth, Napoli stroked his second single of the game. He would have scored on a long double by right fielder Daniel Nava, but the ball bounced into the Texas bullpen, and Napoli had to stop at third. Third baseman Brock Holt then popped out to end the threat.
Beltre started the second with a single and rode to third on first baseman Mitch Moreland’s single before Andrus delivered his sacrifice fly.
Chirinos boosted the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 when he opened the third with a hefty home run to center.
Bogaerts led the Boston fifth with his first homer since April 25.
Nationals 3, Yankees 2
WASHINGTON — Denard Span had two hits, including the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh, as the Washington Nationals captured their fifth straight game with a 3-2 win Wednesday over the New York Yankees despite the ejection of slugger Bryce Harper and manager Matt Williams.
Span, the center fielder, had a single to left with the bases loaded in the seventh to score catcher Wilson Ramos to give the Nationals a 3-2 lead. The run was unearned as Ramos reached on an error by third baseman Chase Headley to lead off the frame.
Jordan Zimmermann (4-2), the Nationals starter and winner, went seven innings and allowed five hits and two runs with six strikeouts and one walk. His command was superb, as 60 of his 88 pitches found the strike zone.
Matt Grace pitched a scoreless eighth for the Nationals and closer Drew Storen set down the Yankees in the ninth for his 12th save. Storen fanned pinch-hitter Alex Rodriguez for the final out with a runner on first.
The hard-luck loser was New York starter Adam Warren (2-3), who gave up just four hits and three runs (two earned) in 6 1/3 innings. Reliever Justin Wilson gave up the winning hit to Span but then retired the next two batters to escape further damage.
With the win the Nationals (24-17) swept the two-game series and won for the 17th time in 21 games as the hottest team in baseball this month. The Yankees fell to 22-19 and lost for the eighth time in 12 contests.
Mariners 4, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE — Roenis Elias allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings, and Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer as the Seattle Mariners downed the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 Wednesday night.
Ruggiano, Seattle’s center fielder, also doubled and scored the team’s first run.
Shortstop Chris Taylor also drove in a seventh-inning run with his first career triple, one of the Mariners’ five extra-base hits. Right fielder Nelson Cruz added two hits to raise his career average to .353 (59-for-167) against the Orioles.
Elias (1-1) shut out the Orioles over the first seven innings. The Cuban-born left-hander retired 10 batters in a row between the third and sixth innings.
The Orioles threatened against Elias in both the seventh and eighth innings, collecting two hits in both frames and knocking him out of the game in the eighth.
Elias retired the first two batters in the eighth before second baseman Rey Navarro and third baseman Manny Machado singled. Designated hitter Jimmy Paredes singled, scoring Navarro and extending his on-base streak to 21 consecutive games, but he was thrown out at second trying to stretch it to a double.
Closer Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for Seattle to earn his 10th save, but not before center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Delmon Young reached on back-to-back singles to start the inning. After two strikeouts, shortstop J.J. Hardy singled to make it 4-2. Pinch hitter Travis Snider grounded out to end the game.
Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen (1-3) went seven innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. Chen did not walk a batter, and he fanned four in his 103-pitch outing