Gonzalez takes no-hitter into 6th, beats Red Sox
ARLINGTON, Texas—Chi Chi Gonzalez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his major league debut and preserved the shutout with some smart fielding, leading the Texas Rangers to an 8-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.
David Ortiz led off the sixth with an opposite-field double to the gap in left-center to end the no-hit bid.
Gonzalez, who’d thrown 87 pitches through five innings and walked five, faced three batters in the sixth, including a double by Mike Napoli.
He gloved a comebacker by Pablo Sandoval with one out and got Ortiz trapped in a rundown between third base and home plate.
The 23-year-old right-hander struck out two and threw 102 pitches in 5 2-3 innings. He and three relievers limited Boston to five hits.
Adam Rosales tied a career high with four hits for Texas.
Boston’s Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Gonzalez was the first of Texas’ two first-round draftees in 2013 (23rd overall) and was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year last season. In eight starts this year for Triple-A Round Rock, he was 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA.
The Rangers have won two straight home games for the first time this season. They go into Sunday’s game having won two of three in the series with a chance to win a home series for the first time after failing six times.
The Red Sox have lost five of their last
six road games. They’re 4-8 with eight games remaining in a stretch of games in 20 consecutive days.
Boston left-hander Wade Miley (4-5) allowed six runs, five earned, in four-plus innings. The Red Sox committed three errors, and right fielder Rusney Castillo took a bad angle on a ball hit by Robinson Chirinos that sailed over his head for a tworun double in Texas’ four-run fourth inning.
Ortiz returned to the Red Sox’s lineup after sitting out two games following a 1-for-12 stretch that dropped his batting average to .216 for the season and .200 for the month. He went 2 for 4, his first multihit game since May 19.
Gonzalez was the second pitcher to make his major league debut as a starter in standout fashion in the series. In Thursday night’s opener, Red Sox right-hander Eduardo Rodriguez held Texas scoreless on three hits in 7 2-3 innings in a 5-1 Boston win.
The Rangers designated second baseman Tommy Field for assignment. He hit .195 since joining team May 11, making 10 starts.
Jeff Bianchi, an infielder who was designated for assignment by Boston on Thursday, declined an assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket and opted for free agency.
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