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Lackey gets shellacked by Rangers

WTF, we get picked to win the world series, and I got a feeling we'll be lucky to win 88 games

ARLINGTON -- Call it an utter shellacking. John Lackey simply had no answers for the Texas Rangers on Saturday night, and he paid the price many times over in one of the worst starts of his career.

The right-hander was belted around for 10 hits (seven for extra bases) and nine runs over 3 2/3 innings as the Red Sox suffered a 12-5 loss at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

For the first time since 2005, Boston has started a season 0-2.

While Friday's game was tension-filled until the Rangers broke it open late, this one became a rout early.

Texas put up a six-spot in knocking Lackey out of the game in the bottom of the fourth. By that time, it was 9-3 Rangers.

Only once in Lackey's career had he taken a worse beating, and it was also against the Rangers. That would be Sept. 26, 2008, when Texas tagged him for 12 hits and 10 runs over 2 2/3 innings. The only other time Lackey had given up as many as nine earned runs in a start was on Aug. 5, 2003, against the Red Sox.

His performance washed away another solid performance by Adrian Gonzalez (3-for-5) and the second home run in as many nights from David Ortiz. Big Papi also made some history, coming up with RBI No. 1,004 as a designated hitter, surpassing Edgar Martinez for the all-time record.

After Ian Kinsler became the first player in Major League history to produce leadoff home runs in the first two games of the season, Ortiz roped a two-run shot to right in the top of the second.

But Boston's lead didn't last long. Lackey gave up an RBI double to Elvis Andrus and an RBI single to Josh Hamilton in the third.

Ortiz tied it briefly with a fielder's-choice grounder in the fourth, but the game unraveled for the Sox in the bottom of that frame.

Though it was hard to believe after the fact, Lackey actually retired the first two batters in the fourth. Then rockets started flying. First, there was a double to right from Yorvit Torrealba. Then an RBI triple by Julio Borbon. After a walk to Kinsler, Elvis Andrus ripped an RBI double. An intentional walk to Josh Hamilton did not lead to the desired result, as former Red Sox Adrian Beltre hammered a grand slam.