Red Sox complete four game sweep of Rangers
BOSTON (Reuters) - The Boston Red Sox recorded their ninth win in 10 games by crushing the Texas Rangers 8-3 on Monday.
The American League East leaders completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers without big guns Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek, Coco Crisp and Mike Lowell.
"It's not always perfect," manager Terry Francona told the team's Web site (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com). "You get banged up or sick and things happen but we played a good game.
"On a day when you start at 11 o'clock and you want a lot of energy, our guys did that."
The early start was due to the annual Patriots Day game, a Fenway Park affair that coincides with the Boston Marathon.
Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz and Julio Lugo all had at least two hits as the Red Sox chalked up their fifth win in a row.
Lugo went four-for-four with two runs.
"They're a good team and when you're a team it doesn't matter who you put out there," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "They rely on everybody and everybody seems to contribute.
"Ask any manager if it's nice not to see Manny in the lineup and they'll tell you, 'Yes.' I'm not different. But these guys, they scored runs."
Ramirez was rested while Varitek, Crisp and Lowell were nursing injuries.
World Series champion Boston has a 14-7 record and a two-game lead over Baltimore in the East.
"We're playing well and having good at-bats throughout the game," said infielder Jed Lowrie. "We're pitching well.
"Everything just seems to be clicking. It's just one of those things you try to hold on to as long as you can."
(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Tony Jimenez) 