ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Victor Martinez’s two-run double keyed a six-run ninth inning that lifted the Boston Red Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night, preserving their lead in the AL wild card.

Martinez’s two-out hit gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead and the win in the opener of the three-game series put them 1½ games ahead of the Rangers.

Boston tagged Texas closer Frank Francisco (2-2) for seven hits and six runs before he was pulled after a two-run home run by J.D. Drew.

Michael Young had a two-run homer and three RBIs for the Rangers.

Andrew Jones had a go-ahead single in the sixth inning for Texas after David Ortiz wiped out a 2-0 Texas lead with a two-run homer in the top of the inning.

The Rangers came within a strike of winning after pinch-runner Clay Buchholz was thrown out at home plate as the tying run on a double by Dustin Pedroia.

Buchholz, a starting pitcher, hesitated when Texas left fielder David Murphy leaped to try to catch Pedroia’s drive at the wall. Murphy quickly retrieved the ball and threw to Young, whose relay got a sliding Buchholz. The Red Sox ended up with runners at second and third, and Martinez followed with the go-ahead hit.

Red Sox reliever Takashi Saito (3-3) got the win after pitching a scoreless eight inning. Jonathan Papelbon finished in a non-save situation.

Ortiz, dropped to seventh in the batting order for the first time since May 24, 2003, ruined Kevin Millwood’s chance for a third victory against Boston this season with his homer off Eddie Guardado, a left-hander who was brought in to face him.

Millwood was replaced because wildness had caused him to burn through 110 pitches in 5 2-3 innings. He allowed three singles but walked five and hit a batter. He struck out four, leaving his ERA at 1.45 against Boston this season.

Millwood looked like he would survive the sixth when he got the first two hitters on four pitches. But a walk to Mike Lowell led to the call for Guardado, and Ortiz lined a 3-2 pitch into the Texas bullpen in right-center field.

In the first inning, Jon Lester walked Omar Vizquel and gave up Young’s 20th home run before coming back to strike out the side. He did it again in the fourth and the sixth, when he finished his 11-strikeout night with consecutive strikeouts of Josh Hamilton, Hank Blalock and Murphy. Blalock struck out four times.

Hamilton went 2 for 3 with a walk in his first home game since the revelation that the All-Star with the inspiring comeback from drug and alcohol addiction had a drunken episode in an Arizona bar in January.

NOTES: Red Sox CF Jacoby Ellsbury, in a 4-for-17 slide, wasn’t in the starting lineup. He pinch-hit for Nick Green in the seventh and stayed in the game in center. … Boston RHP Tim Wakefield will make a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket at Gwinnett on Saturday. Wakefield has been on the 15-day DL since July 21 due to a lower back strain. … The Rangers signed three draft picks: LHP Chad Bell (14th round), RHP Shawn Blackwell (24th) and OF Riley Cooper (25th). … Rangers RHP Brandon McCarthy had a strong rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma on Thursday night, but the timing of his return to the big leagues is still unclear. He’s on the 60-day DL with a stress fracture in his right shoulder. … Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia left the game in the fourth inning with numbness in his right hand. He was replaced by Taylor Teagarden.