BOSTON -- When the Texas Rangers signed veteran Wandy Rodriguez on the eve of the season, they knew they were getting a savvy left-hander who could get by without throwing 98 mph.

On Thursday night, Rodriguez turned in another strong performance for his new team. Making his sixth start after putting in time in the minors, Rodriguez allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings of the Rangers' 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Rebounding from a poor start his previous outing, Rodriguez (2-2) allowed one run for the fourth time in his six appearances.

"Really nice pitching by Wandy tonight," Texas manager Jeff Banister said after his team (18-23) captured the rubber game of the three-game series and won for the eighth time in its last 11 road games.

"Back to what we've seen, with the exception of the last outing -- the ability to throw the fastball in and out, the breaking ball played very well for him tonight, the hard breaking ball and the soft breaking ball."

Rodriguez, whose ERA dropped from 3.86 to 3.38 as his career record rose to 93-96, said he used his two-seam fastball more -- breaking the ball away from the right-handed batters with the left field wall looming during his first time pitching at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez also made a key defensive play, shoveling the ball home with his glove to nail second baseman Dustin Pedroia in the fourth inning.

The Red Sox, down 3-0 after first baseman Mitch Moreland drove in two of the three Texas runs, had runners on second and third with nobody out in the fourth inning.

DH David Ortiz delivered a run with a groundout and Pedroia, who had doubled, moved to third. Left fielder Hanley Ramirez then hit a squib in front of the plate and, for some reason, Pedroia tried to score. Rodriguez charged and shoveled the ball to catcher Carlos Corporon in plenty of time.

"I don't know why he (came) to home plate," Rodriguez said.

It was one of two baserunning miscues by the Red Sox. Shortstop Xander Bogaets was hit on the bottom of his shoe with what would have been a single that should have sent him to third in the fifth inning.

"The baseball field is so big, what are the chances of the ball even hitting me under my cleat? Are you kidding me? It's weird," said Bogaerts, who said he didn't feel anything but was able to see it on replay.

Keone Kela relieved Rodriguez and took it through the eighth (three strikeouts in four outs) before right-hander Shawn Tolleson worked a scoreless ninth for his second save in as many nights (and in his career).

Moreland hit a solo homer and added two singles to make a hard-luck loser of right-hander Clay Buchholz (2-5), who turned in the latest solid pitching performance wasted by the sagging Red Sox bats.

Buchholz went 7 1/3 innings and became the third Boston starter in the series to yield two earned runs. Overall, he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Boston starters pitched to a 2.00 ERA in the past eight games, but the offense has been quiet, leading to a 4-4 mark during that span.

The Red Sox are 5-for-53 with runners in scoring position (0-for-6 Thursday) in the eight games and fell to .199 for the year in that important category.

"No answers. We just ain't hitting, period," said Ortiz, who is batting just .241.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said, "Have to get players we are counting on rolling. It's not as if we are looking at one spot in the lineup as a glaring hole."

The Rangers scored just five runs in their two wins, but that was enough.

"It was a big series for us," said Moreland, who raised his batting average to .312 with three hits. "To win two like that, it's a big pickup for us."

NOTES: Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval, who sustained a bruised left knee when he was hit by a fastball Tuesday, then sat out Wednesday, struck out as a pinch hitter Thursday. ... RF Shane Victorino was out of the Boston lineup, a late scratch because of sore calf and general soreness. ... Texas backup C Carlos Corporan caught LHP Wandy Rodriguez, his former Houston Astros teammate, for the sixth consecutive time. ... The Rangers move on to New York, where RHP Colby Lewis will face the Yankees in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Red Sox have RHP Rick Porcello going against Los Angeles Angels RHP Garrett Richards in the first of three at Fenway Park. ... Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart threw out the first pitch. ... Thursday was Luis Tiant bobblehead night at Fenway.