Red Sox Head in Right Direction With Second Win in a Row

Now, this was the way it was supposed to happen. The pitching was going to be a bit shaky and, if Boston’s defense reminded one of a sieve, well, the Red Sox were going to score enough runs to overcome that.

But then the Red Sox didn’t, and comparisons started: their worst start since 1945, their worst since 1927, their worst ever.

They still have the worst record in baseball--tied, now, with Kansas City--but Boston, the defending American League East champion, has started to hit, and chief among those hitters is AL MVP Mo Vaughn.

He homered twice and walked three times Thursday at Boston to extend his on-base streak to 10 in a row and lead the Red Sox to an 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

It was Boston’s second win in a row.

Tim Wakefield (1-3) won for the first time in nine starts, stretching to last season, and Troy O’Leary homered for the third consecutive game for the Red Sox.

“I’ve asked Mo to be more patient,” Red Sox Manager Kevin Kennedy said. “I told him he doesn’t have to carry the club. If they want to walk him, let them.”

Vaughn hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to make it 7-2 and then added a solo shot in the eighth.

Baltimore 3, Kansas City 2--Arthur Rhodes, who had made 15 relief appearances since shoulder surgery last September, won his first start since last July with this victory at Kansas City, and Roberto Alomar drove in two runs for the Orioles, who finished a seven-game trip with a 2-5 record, being outscored, 68-41.

Cleveland 4, New York 3--Albert Belle’s solo home run in the eighth inning at New York broke a tie and gave the Indians their first victory in four tries against the Yankees this season.

New York rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the sixth inning on Tino Martinez’s second homer of the season.

Chicago 4, Seattle 3--Harold Baines, Robin Ventura and Darren Lewis each had RBI doubles in the sixth inning to send Kevin Tapani (2-0) to a win at Chicago.

The Mariners have lost five of their last six games.

Oakland 4, Toronto 3--Phil Plantier doubled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning for the Athletics at Toronto as Oakland won its fifth in a row.