Rangers swipe club record 9 bases, but blow big lead in 7-6 loss to reeling Red Sox.

Red Sox rally for win despite allowing 9 steals.

BOSTON — Darnell McDonald, called up from the minors earlier in the day, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning to tie the game and won it with an RBI single in the ninth to lift the struggling Boston Red Sox to a 7-6 comeback win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

The Red Sox snapped a five-game losing streak despite allowing the Rangers to steal a club record nine bases. Texas has dropped five straight.

Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus each had three of Texas’ club record nine stolen bases as the Rangers opened a 6-1 lead after five innings.

Jonathan Papelbon (1-1) pitched a hitless ninth for the win.

The Rangers swiped all nine against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and catcher Victor Martinez.

Kevin Youkilis opened the ninth with an infield hit off the body of Frank Francisco (2-3), advanced on a passed ball and was sacrificed to third by Bill Hall. Mike Lowell was intentionally walked and Adrian Beltre popped to first. Jason Varitek then walked on four pitches before McDonald lifted a fly ball just over the leap of Josh Hamilton.

Texas swiped one in the first, five in the third and two in the fourth. Cruz set the club record with his third of the game, swiping third in the fifth.

Josh Reddick, recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A, had a two-run double for Boston, cutting the deficit to 6-4 in the sixth.

The Rangers were 18 for 18 in stolen-base attempts against the Red Sox last season.

The previous club record was eight, set against Boston in Arlington, Tx. last August 15.

Cruz started the Rangers’ running game in the first when he had an RBI single to make it 1-0 and followed by stealing second.

Martinez’s RBI single in the first tied the game. Boston had gone 0 for its last 32 with runners in scoring position.

Texas set a club record for steals in an inning with five in the third. Hamilton’s grounder scored Andrus to make it 2-1. Andrus walked leading off, then stole second and third. Vladimir Guerrero had a pair of stolen bases and Cruz the other in the inning.

Julio Barbon’s RBI single triggered a three-run fourth. Joaquin Arios scored on a wild pitch and Michael Young added a run-scoring single, making it 5-1.

Before the inning, Martinez threw the ball into center field while warming up Wakefield. He also threw it past the pitcher in the fifth inning.

Boston’s catchers have thrown out just one of 31 runners this season.

The nine steals allowed matched the most by Boston since Oct. 3, 1913.

Hamilton overran Reddick’s fly ball down the line; that fell in for a double to make it 6-4 in the sixth.

Rangers starter Colby Lewis allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. Wakefield gave up six runs on seven hits in six innings.

NOTES: Cruz left the game in the ninth with a cramp in his left hamstring. … The Red Sox put outfielders Mike Cameron (strained abdominal muscle) and Jacoby Ellsbury (bruised chest) on the 15-day DL before the game. They recalled Reddick and selected McDonald from Triple-A Pawtucket. … Wakefield surpassed Cy Young to move into second place on the Red Sox all-time list with more than 2,729 innings pitched. … Rangers C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, on the 15-day DL with a left upper back strain, was placed on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City today.