Rangers Top White Sox in Perez's 1st Shutout

Rangers 12, White Sox 0

Martin Perez pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout, Leonys Martin drove in four runs and the Texas Rangers routed the Chicago White Sox 12-0 Friday night.

Martin homered and was one of four Texas batters with three hits apiece. Robinson Chirinos also went deep.

Perez (3-0) retired his last 12 batters and struck out eight in his second complete game, including rookie Jose Abreu three times. Perez retired seven straight after Adam Eaton opened the game with a single and never allowed more than one baserunner in an inning.

Martin had a two-run triple and Chirinos hit a two-run homer on the next pitch in seven-run third inning off Felipe Paulino (0-2). Martin homered for a 10-0 lead in the fourth.

Chirinos and Jim Adduci set career highs with three hits apiece. Alex Rios also had three hits and scored each time he reached base.

Prince Fielder, who came in hitting .164, reached base all five times he batted, including a run-scoring double. He also singled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Chicago's Alexei Ramirez extended a franchise record by getting a hit in his 17th straight game to start the season. His soft single to right in the fifth extended his streak to 21 games going back to last season.

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Kevin Kouzmanoff extended the hitting streak at the start of his Texas career to nine games with a pair of run-scoring singles.

Perez has thrown 17 straight scoreless innings after he went eight in a 1-0 win over Houston. He ended the game with a strikeout of Dayan Viciedo.

The other complete game for Perez was a 6-1 win over the Astros last Aug. 11.

Paulino had to endure the first seven-run inning in the majors this season with no sign of help in the third because the Chicago bullpen was just two days removed from a 6-4 loss in 14 innings against Boston. White Sox infielder Leury Garcia had to pitch the last inning against the Red Sox and took the loss.

Martin's triple into the right-field corner brought in two, and Chirinos sent one just over the 14-foot wall in left field for a 6-0 lead. Rios had a two-run single, and Fielder brought him home with a double off Paulino, who also had a walk, a hit batter and two wild pitches in the inning.

When Kouzmanoff lined out to end the third, White Sox reliever Zach Putnam had just started warming up. Putnam replaced Paulino in the fourth after a two-out homer by Martin and Chirinos' third hit, a single to right.

Paulino, trying to come back from elbow ligament-replacement surgery in 2012, has allowed 35 hits and 23 earned runs in 18 1-3 innings over four starts.

NOTES: Rangers manager Ron Washington said 3B Adrian Beltre (strained quadriceps) would likely play next Friday at Seattle, the first game after he's eligible to come off the disabled list. ... Martin matched his career high with four RBIs. He also did it Aug. 28 last season at Seattle.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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