G93: Red Sox 8, Rangers 4

Rangers - 010 102 000 - 4  7  1
Red Sox - 005 011 10x - 8 12  0

For most of this month - July 2-29 - the Red Sox are playing only teams below .500. Eight games into that 23-game stretch, Boston is 8-0.

For the seventh time this season, the Red Sox knocked out seven extra-base hits. Among their six hits in the third inning were three doubles and a triple. They batted around against Yovani Gallardo (5-7-6-2-2, 97), erasing the Rangers' one-run lead and putting themselves on the road to their eighth straight victory.

The Red Sox also play 39 of their remaining 69 games (57%) at home, where they are 30-12 (.714), 2nd-best in the majors (only .003 behind the Yankees).

Down in Baltimore, the Yankees blew a 5-3 lead in the seventh inning and Dellin Betances gave up the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. The Orioles' 6-5 win dropped the Yankees 3.5 games out of first place. That's the Red Sox's biggest division lead since April 26, when they led by 4.0 games.

Four Red Sox had two hits: Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Blake Swihart, and Jackie Bradley.

Four Red Sox drove in two runs: Benintendi, Mitch Moreland, Xander Bogaerts, and Bradley.

The Red Sox tied a season-high with six doubles: Benintendi (2), Bradley (2), Swihart, and Betts.

Gallardo had allowed only one walk through the first 2.1 innings, but then he fell apart. An over-reliance on off-speed pitches and the Red Sox facing him for a second time spelled disaster for the Texas starter. Swihart smashed a one-out, ground-rule double into the triangle. Bradley hit an opposite-field double that short-hopped the wall in left-center, tying the game at 1-1. Betts struck out, but Benintendi doubled off the garage door in center, scoring JBJ. J.D. Martinez singled to left and Moreland singled to right, making it 3-1. Bogaerts crushed an 0-1 pitch to deep center. Delino DeShields gave chase and leapt for it, but it hit off the heel of his glove for a two-run triple.

Betts doubled and scored on Moreland's sac fly in the fifth,. Swihart singled with two outs in the sixth and scored on Bradley's second double to left-center. When the Rangers threw home, Bradley tried for third, but was thrown out. Betts led off the seventh with a single and scored on Benintendi's double.

Hector Velazquez (3-2-1-2-2, 49) dealt with five baserunners in his three innings, but the only one that scored was Rougned Odor, who cranked a home run to deep right in the second. Odor scored three of the Rangers' runs.

Jamel Beeks allowed four hits, one walk, one HBP, and three runs in 2.1 innings, but it could have been much worse. Beeks was helped out tremendously by three greats plays in the field. With runners at first and third in the fourth, Beeks fielded a comebacker. His throw to second base was low and Bogaerts made an exceptional scoop while keeping his foot on the bag and then completed the double play. Betts robbed Nomar Mazara of a two-run home run in the fifth, leaping over the bullpen wall in right center for the catch. Bradley sprinted in and snared Ronald Guzman's line drive with a man on first and no outs in the sixth. (Beeks then gave up a double and Brandon Workman allowed both inherited runners to score.)

Matt Barnes struck out the side in the seventh and was credited with the win. The Red Sox led 7-4 while Barnes was pitching and they added a run before he was officially relieved, so I guess the official scorer gave him the W based on his performance. I think Velazquez deserved the win more, even though he pitched fewer than five innings. Of the six Boston pitchers, he faced the most batters (13) and recorded the most outs (9). When he left the game, the Red Sox led 5-1. And because the lead was never fewer than two runs, I don't see any real reason to believe the guy who pitched the top of the seventh was more deserving of the W. ... #KillTheWin.

Also: Shin-Soo Choo walked twice, extending his on-base streak to 48 games. ... The four longest streaks in history are: Ted Williams (84 games in 1949), Joe DiMaggio (74 games in 1941), Ted Williams (69 games in 1941), and Orlando Cabrera (63 games in 2006).

Yovani Gallardo / Hector Velazquez

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Martinez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Holt, 2B
Devers, 3B
Swihart, C
Bradley, CF

Christian Vazquez had surgery on his fractured right fifth finger today. He will be out for 6-8 weeks.

The Red Sox have had three winning streaks this season of at least seven games (for the first time since 1990):

9 games: March 30-April 10
8 games: April 12-20
7 games: July 2-9

Mookie Betts has scored 72 runs in 72 games this season. Only one player since 1940 has averaged at least one run scored per game (min. 50 games): Rickey Henderson, who scored 146 runs in 143 games for the 1985 Yankees (1.02/G).

The Red Sox called up Jalen Beeks and sent down William Cuevas.

AL East: MFY/BAL, 7 PM. ... The Red Sox lead the division by 2.5 games.