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Pitcher C.J. Wilson and the Texas Rangers took full advantage of an ailing Boston team in a breezy 4-0 shutout victory over the Red Sox on Monday.
Wilson cruised through 6-2/3 scoreless innings and faced few concerns against a Boston lineup missing a majority of their dangerous hitters to improve his record to 13-5 for the season.
“To pitch well against a good team, to get some runs, it’s a big deal,” Wilson told reporters. “I’m happy with the game for a lot of reasons, but getting a win and getting a shutout for the team was big.”
While the game could be considered a potential preview of an American League post-season match-up, a very different Boston team is likely to be on the field against the Rangers if they meet in the playoffs.
With their offense impaired, Boston (77-50) managed just four hits and fell one game behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.
The Rangers (74-55) scored the game’s opening run in the third then pulled clear with a three-run blast from Mike Napoli in the sixth to seal the win and extend their American League West lead to 4-1/2 games.
Red Sox starter Erik Bedard (4-9) allowed four runs in six innings to remain winless since Boston acquired the left-hander in a trade with Seattle last month.