Doubront can't get Sox back on track

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Before Monday night, lefty Felix Doubront had made eight starts following a Red Sox' loss this season and the team managed to win seven of those, with Doubront sporting a 5-0, 2.76 ERA in those games.

But form didn't hold in the opener of the Sox' six-game road trip.

Doubront was shelled for six runs in five-plus innings, matching a career high in earned runs allowed as the Sox' losing streak reached four games with a 9-1 setback to the Texas Rangers.

"What happened was, I left a couple of pitches up," said Doubront, who fell to 10-5 with the defeat, "to the good hitters and they did damage with those pitches."

Doubront hadn't faced Texas before and found out in a hurry why the Rangers' lineup is regarded as one of the strongest in the league.

"They're pretty good hitters," acknowledged Doubront. "They're good and they put the ball in play and score runs."

"He missed with some location," said catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, "and you can't do that with a team like this. He couldn't get any off-speed stuff over for strikes and he had to rely on the fastball and they're a good fastball-hitting team."

After the four-run third, Doubront seemed to find himself, retiring eight of nine hitters at one point.

Doubront struck out catcher Mike Napoli twice, but the third time he faced him, Napoli ran the count full against the lefty.

"I wanted to show him a different pitch (in that third at-bat)," recalled Doubront. "(With two strikes on him), I thought it was strike three. I tried to throw a curve and it wasn't a strike. Then, I went with my best pitch, a fastball, and he got it."

Napoli drove the pitch deep into the left field seats for a two-run homer, lifting the Texas lead to 6-1 and ending Doubront's night.

"That happens," said Doubront. "We have to keep going and I'm just looking forward to my next start and helping the team better."

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