BOSTON — Jon Lester certainly knew what was happening. It was right in front of him every time he walked to the mound.

Lester had a perfect game for 6 1/3 innings before finishing with a two-hit complete game in the Red Sox's 8-1 victory over the Texas Rangers last night.

"It's hard not to think about it when you've got the Green Monster out there. It's in your face the whole time," Lester said about the zeros for runs and hits across the Texas linescore on the left-field wall. "I was real happy it was a well-struck ball. It wasn't an infield hit or anything like that."

Michael Young doubled into the gap in left-center with one out in the seventh to break up Lester's bid for a perfect game. After letting out a loud groan as the ball rolled to the wall, the sold-out crowd gave Lester a standing ovation.

Young also singled in the ninth.

Slumping slugger David Ortiz and Mike Lowell hit solo homers for Boston.

Lester (5-5), the club's most reliable postseason pitcher last year when he threw a no-hitter on May 19 against Kansas City, got off to a slow start this season, giving up 11 runs in his first two starts.

But yesterday, he showed how dominating he can be, striking out 11 and walking just two. It was his third career complete game.

"I had thoughts of a guy really pitching well," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "His stuff from the get-go was powerful."

Lester struck out nine of the first 15 batters he faced, getting four swinging at pitches down outside the strike zone — including the side in the fourth.

"That was just lights out," Young said. "That was one of the best games I've seen in my career by a pitcher."

Ortiz, mired in a season-long slump, connected for the second time this season and first since May 20.

RAYS 9, YANKEES 7:

Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist homered, and Joe Dillon hit a tiebreaking single in the ninth inning as visiting Tampa Bay won its fourth in a row. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez homered for New York.

MARINERS 2, TWINS 1:

A day after his club-record 27-game hitting streak ended, Ichiro Suzuki went 3 for 4, including a two-out RBI double in the fifth, and scored the go-ahead run on Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-out double in the eighth for host Seattle.

WHITE SOX 4, INDIANS 2:

Josh Fields homered, Gavin Floyd (4-5) allowed five hits while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings and Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth for his 13th save in 14 opportunities to lift host Chicago.

ROYALS 6, BLUE JAYS 2:

Luke Hochevar (1-2) permitted four hits in a season-high 6 2/3 innings and Willie Bloomquist hit a three-run triple as visiting Kansas City ended an eight-game losing streak.

TIGERS 2, ANGELS 1:

Edwin Jackson (6-3) threw a four-hitter for his second career complete game, improving to 5-1 with a 0.76 ERA in his last six starts, to help host Detroit end a four-game skid.

ATHLETICS 9, ORIOLES 4:

Jason Giambi hit a three-run double that helped rookie Trevor Cahill (3-5) end a three-start losing streak as host Oakland won its fifth straight game. The first seven hits by the A's were doubles, and they wound up with a club-record-tying eight.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

DODGERS 3, PHILLIES 2:

Brad Lidge gave up a tying home run to pinch-hitter Rafael Furcal with one out in the ninth inning for his second blown save in less than 24 hours, and Andre Ethier hit his second homer of the game with two out in the 12th to win it for host Los Angeles. Cory Wade (1-3) pitched two perfect innings of relief for the Dodgers, whose bullpen leads the majors with 17 wins.

BREWERS 3, BRAVES 0:

Prince Fielder hit two homers for the third time this season and visiting Milwaukee extended Atlanta's streak of scoreless innings to 22. Jeff Suppan (4-4) gave up six hits in 5 1/3 innings and Trevor Hoffman, the Brewers' fourth reliever, pitched the ninth for his 15th straight save.

NATIONALS 7, METS 1:

John Lannan (3-5) allowed an unearned run and four hits, facing the minimum number of batters through the first seven innings, in pitching his first career complete game and host Washington turned a franchise-record-tying five double plays.

ROCKIES 10, CARDINALS 1:

Ian Stewart homered twice and matched a career high with five RBIs, and Aaron Cook (4-3) beat host St. Louis for the first time. Cook allowed a run on four hits in eight dominant innings, facing no batters with runners in scoring position.

PIRATES 6, ASTROS 4:

Paul Maholm (4-2) scattered eight hits over seven innings and drove in a run with an infield single to lead visiting Pittsburgh. Jack Wilson doubled twice and drove in a run and Andrew McCutchen delivered a two-run single for the Pirates.

MARLINS 5, GIANTS 4:

Andrew Miller (2-2) allowed one earned run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, and reliever Leo Nunez helped host Florida escape San Francisco's late rally. Down 5-2, the Giants loaded the bases in the ninth against closer Matt Lindstrom. Nunez gave up Aaron Rowand's two-run single before striking out Edgar Renteria to end it.

REDS 4, CUBS 3:

Jay Bruce scored from third base in the 11th inning when third baseman Mike Fontenot's throw home was high, lifting host Cincinnati. Nick Masset (3-0) walked a batter in two innings for the win.

PADRES 6, DIAMONDBACKS 4:

Tony Gwynn Jr. reached base a career-high five times — three walks, single, double — and scored the go-ahead run in a six-run sixth inning to help the host Padres snap a four-game losing streak.