Red Sox defeat Rangers behind Lackey, climb above .500 for first time since April 3

John Lackey earned his fifth victory of 2014 by beating the Texas Rangers on Sunday. (Jim Cowsert/USA Today Sports)

Right-hander John Lackey, a native of Abilene, Texas, felt right at home at Globe Life Park, leading the Boston Red Sox to a series win over the Rangers. Lackey went seven innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out nine in the Red Sox’s 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Pitching in Arlington, the city where he played his college ball at the University of Texas, Lackey gave the Red Sox a quality start in the rubber match of the series. His command was extraordinary, tossing 75 of his 105 pitches for strikes with no walks allowed.

The win moved the Red Sox above the .500 mark for the first time since April 3, the fourth day of the regular season. It was Lackey’s 20^th start at Globe Life Park, breaking a tie with Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez for the most as a visiting player. In earning the victory, Lackey improved his record at the Rangers’ ballpark to 8-7, though the 35-year-old has had his share of its struggles pitching in his home city.

“I like coming here. But it’s a terrible place to pitch,” Lackey said, via Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I’d rather be pitching back at Fenway, trust me.”

Lackey entered Sunday’s contest with a 6.61 career ERA at Globe Life Park. His earned run average at the Rangers’ ballpark is the second-highest of any visiting pitcher with at least 15 starts and 75 innings.

The Red Sox offense provided Lackey with early run support, making the right-hander's outing a lot less stressful. Mike Napoli hit a two-run double in the top of the first and two batters later A.J. Pierzynski followed with a RBI single to give the Sox a 3-0 before Lackey had stepped on the mound.

''It's nice to go out there when you already have a 3-0 lead,'' Lackey said, via foxsports.com. ''It kind of lets you relax a little bit and pound the strike zone.''

Over .500 for the first time since their opening-series victory in Baltimore, the Red Sox trail the Orioles by just two games for first-place in the ultra-competitive AL East.