Schilling gets 12th win as Red Sox top Rangers

BOSTON (AP) -- Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling have a friendly little contest going, and right now it's all tied up.

Schilling couldn't extend Boston's string of shutouts, but he did join his teammate at 12 victories on Thursday when he lasted seven innings to help the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 6-4.

"Now it's on," said Schilling (12-3), who allowed four runs and a season-high 10 hits while walking one and striking out six. He gave up three runs in the second to end Boston's string of 22 scoreless innings, including consecutive 1-0 victories over the lowly Kansas City Royals.

Beckett earned the victory on Wednesday, and after getting congratulated by Schilling he reminded his elder teammate about the challenge they discussed earlier in the season.

"He's like, `Let's go. You've got to catch me now," Schilling said. "It's a kind of a game you play and I've always enjoyed being in a rotation where you can do things like that."

Mike Timlin pitched the ninth for his second save in the makeup of a May 14 rainout. Closer Jonathan Papelbon had saved each of the three previous games, all one-run victories.

Rangers reliever Bryan Corey (1-1) gave up single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing an RBI single to Mark Loretta and a run-scoring double by Jason Varitek. Corey allowed two runs and three hits with two walks, striking out one while getting four outs.

Starter John Rheinecker couldn't make it out of the fourth for the second consecutive game.

"You can use the same refrain for his outings here lately," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. "There have been a lot of hard-hit balls. It's happened a lot."

Showalter praised his bullpen for keeping it close and his lineup for getting back in the game. But he was critical of home plate umpire Paul Schrieber, claiming that Schilling "got the benefit" of borderline strike calls.

"With a guy like Schilling, when he's pitching, you're working against a lot of elements here," Showalter said. "So that's part of the challenge you face out there."

Rod Barajas, who had been 0-for-10 in his previous three games, had two hits and three RBI for Texas.

Wily Mo Pena, making his first appearance since going on the disabled list on May 27 with a left wrist injury, was 2-for-3 with a two-run double off right fielder Mark DeRosa's glove. Loretta had three hits, but he also got thrown out on the basepaths twice, once when he didn't slide at home and once when he was picked off at second by the catcher, Barajas.

"It was pretty bad," Loretta said.

Boston led 2-0 and 4-3 before Barajas doubled in Kevin Mench to tie it at 4 in the sixth. In the bottom half, Alex Gonzalez walked and took second on Alex Cora's sacrifice bunt. Loretta singled to give Boston the lead, but then got picked off.

In the seventh, Manny Ramirez walked with one out and scored when Varitek's line drive got past center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. Pena singled, but C.J. Wilson got Trot Nixon and Gonzalez to end the inning.

The Red Sox scored two in the first. Loretta and Kevin Youkilis singled, Ramirez hit an RBI double and then Youkilis scored when first baseman Mark Teixeira chose not to throw home and took the unassisted out instead.

But the Rangers took a 3-2 lead in the second on an RBI double by Brad Wilkerson and a two-run single from Barajas.

Schilling is 8-0 in nine starts at home this season. The last Red Sox pitcher to start 8-0 or better at home was Dennis Eckersley, who won his first nine Fenway decisions in 1978.

Game notes
Youkilis went 1-for-3 with two walks. He is 6-for-37 in his last nine games. ... With a fifth-inning walk, Teixeira has reached base in his last 14 games. ... Boston's David Ortiz was out of the starting lineup for the first time all season. ... Rheinecker gave up four runs and eight hits in 3 2-3. He walked one and struck out one. ... Rangers RHP Adam Eaton went four innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing one run and three hits with two walks and striking out six. He might make another rehab start before returning to the rotation, Showalter said. Eaton had surgery on the middle finger of his pitching hand. ... Texas has an outfield assist in three consecutive games.