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LAA@TEX: Dempster has a rough outing in Rangers debut

Jon Lester is hoping Tuesday's start against the Rangers goes better than his earlier one this season.

The Red Sox ace has never had a shorter outing than his two-inning effort in Boston's 18-3 loss to Texas on April 17. Lester gave up seven runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking four. Before that defeat, Lester had pitched at least six innings and allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his past eight starts against the Rangers.

Lester is a disappointing 5-9 with a 5.36 ERA this season, although he began August with a solid outing. Lester gave up three runs on seven hits over eight innings in a 5-0 loss to the Twins on Thursday. He'll try to help the Red Sox win their third straight game on Tuesday against the Rangers.

"It's been going in the right direction," Lester said. "I'm happy with that. Obviously, the results still aren't there, but I'm happy with how the ball came out of my hand. A loss is a loss, it still [stinks], but I took a lot of positives from [Thursday], so I've just got to keep building on that."

The Rangers are without their Opening Day starter, Colby Lewis, who underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right elbow. The pitcher essentially replacing him in the rotation, recently acquired Ryan Dempster, had a rough Rangers debut. Despite entering the game with the second-best ERA in the Majors, Dempster gave up a season-high eight runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings during a 15-9 win over the Angels. He'll try to bounce back on Tuesday.

"He had never experienced the ballpark in Texas, and the Angels were pretty hot," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He got some balls up, and they didn't miss it. So just get the ball down."

In Dempster's only other start against the Red Sox this year, he tossed seven scoreless innings in a 3-0 win for the Cubs on June 15. At the time, it was his third straight victory as he extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 22 innings.

Dempster is 2-1 with one save while posting a 5.11 ERA in five career appearances against the Red Sox, including four starts, striking out 15 and walking 11 over 24 2/3 innings.

Rangers: Andrus expected to be back in lineup
• After missing the last frame of Sunday's 7-6 loss in 10 innings to the Royals and all of Monday's 9-2 setback to the Red Sox, Elvis Andrus is expected to start on Tuesday. Andrus exited Sunday's game in the ninth inning with right shoulder soreness after getting thrown out at home plate in the seventh trying to score on a double by Michael Young.

With Mike Olt representing the go-ahead run at third base and no outs in the ninth, Andrus missed a suicide-squeeze-bunt attempt on a pitch in the dirt, low and outside. Olt was tagged out, and the Rangers eventually lost. Olt and Andrus' replacement at shortstop, Alberto Gonzalez, each made errors in the 10th inning on Sunday, while Young got his first start at shortstop this year on Monday.

• Olt is also expected to be in the lineup on Tuesday. The right-handed-hitting Olt, who primarily played third base at Double-A Frisco before getting called up last Wednesday, will likely play first base when Lester starts for the Red Sox. He has two hits in seven at-bats with three RBIs and two walks during his callup.

Red Sox: Valentine gets support from team executives
• The Red Sox improved to .500 with a 9-2 win over the Rangers on Monday night, but they're still nine games out of first place in the American League East and four games behind the Angels for the second spot in the AL Wild Card race. Yet general manager Ben Cherington and owner John Henry gave first-year manager Bobby Valentine votes of confidence before Monday's game.

"In baseball, managers often get too much credit and too much blame for what happens on the field," Henry said in an email to reporters. "A lot has been written about injuries to key players this year. The impact of that on the Sox this year should not be discounted."

"Bobby's our manager, and we're not looking at anyone else," Cherington said. "There are a lot of people here responsible for our performance -- I am, the front office is, Bobby is, the coaching staff, the players."

• David Ortiz got an injection in his injured right Achilles tendon early Monday night. The Red Sox are 9-11 since he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 18.

Ortiz did not work out or take batting practice before Monday's game like he had been earlier in the homestand, and there is no timetable for his return. He leads the Red Sox with a .316 batting average and 23 home runs.

Worth noting
• Adrian Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the Red Sox's win over the Rangers on Monday and is hitting a Majors-best .400 since June 23. His .418 batting average with runners in scoring position also leads the Major Leagues.

• Pedro Ciriaco became the first player in Red Sox history to make his first career home run a go-ahead shot or game-tying blast as a pinch-hitter on Saturday, when he broke a 2-2 tie with a solo homer to lead off the eighth inning.

• Despite going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday, Mike Napoli is still batting .500 with four home runs and 10 RBIs against the Red Sox this year. He has homered 15 times in 125 career at-bats against the Red Sox, once every 8.33 at-bats, the best all-time among players with at least 100 at-bats vs. Boston.

• Mark Lowe pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Triple-A Round Rock in his fourth rehab appearance on Monday night. He had given up four runs in four innings during his three previous rehab outings, all with Double-A Frisco. Lowe has been on the disabled list since June 29 with a strained right intercostal muscle.

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