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Slugfest extraordinaire

Gerald Laird watches David Ortiz hit his second 3-run homer in the first inning. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Gerald Laird watches David Ortiz hit his second 3-run homer in the first inning. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

In one of the wildest games of the season, Kevin Youkilis’ go-ahead home run sent the Boston Red Sox to a 19-17 win after the Texas Rangers fought back from a 10-run first inning Tuesday night in Boston that included a pair of three-run homers by Red Sox slugger David Ortiz.

Youkilis drove a three-run shot over Fenway Park’s Green Monster in the eighth inning for his second homer of a dizzying night.

It came after Dustin Pedroia doubled in a run and Ortiz was intentionally walked to get to Youkilis.

The 19 runs were the most scored by the Red Sox this season and they ruined a Rangers comeback that matched the greatest against Boston. The Red Sox also squandered a 10-run lead on June 4, 1989, against Toronto when they lost 13-11 in 12 innings after they led 10-0 through six.

Texas’ Marlon Byrd and Pedroia had five hits each. Ortiz had six RBIs, Youkilis had five, and Ian Kinsler and Chris Davis had four apiece for Texas.

Hideki Okajima (3-2) got the win.

Ortiz’s first homer followed a leadoff walk to J.D. Drew and a single by Pedroia. His second came after RBI singles by Drew and Pedroia. The other runs in the first inning scored on Jed Lowrie’s two-run double.

Texas cut the lead to 10-2 on Davis’ two-run single in the second, but Boston scored twice in the third and then twice in the fifth on a two-run homer by Youkilis.

Meanwhile, Texas batted around in the fifth and sixth – sending 20 batters to the plate and scoring 13 runs.

•Boston acquired pitcher Paul Byrd from Cleveland for a player to be named or cash.

Clearing the bases

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder Nomar Garciaparra from the disabled list and placed center fielder Andruw Jones on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday. Garciaparra missed 14 games because of a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Jones has soreness in his left knee. … San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum left in the fifth inning of a game in Houston after he was struck in the right knee by a line drive from Astros catcher Brad Ausmus. … The Detroit Tigers signed right-hander Freddy Garcia to a minor league contract. Garcia, once with the Seattle Mariners, has been out of the majors since June 2007. … Kansas City minor league pitcher Victor Jorge and Arizona minor league pitcher Winfild De La Rosa and first baseman Ramon Mariano were suspended for 50 games each after testing positive under baseball’s minor league drug program.