David Ortiz rubs the head of teammate Kevin Youkilis after the two scored on Jed Lowrie’s double in the fifth inning last night.

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

BOSTON — Just about now, it would be understandable if the Red Sox petitioned the American League to play more games against the Rangers. The Sox own Texas this season.

Boston continued its destruction of the Rangers last night, this time pounding out an 8-4 victory.

John Lester was outstanding once again in recording his 11th win. His job was made easier because of the way Sox hitters continued to batter the weak Texas pitching.

The two teams have met six times so far. Boston has won all six. In the process, the Sox have piled up 57 runs, an average of 9.5 per game.

“Sometimes you have a team’s number,” said Sox first baseman Sean Casey. “But I think the one thing about baseball that you’ve got to be careful about is that you can throw all the stats out, and do all the things you need to do, but at the end of the day we’ve still got to play them tomorrow.”

Texas, on the other hand, has scored 35 runs in the six games, an average of 5.9. Yet it has lost every one.

The Rangers lead the majors with an average of 5.7 runs per start. Last night, they were shut out for the first seven innings by Lester, who continues to grow into a star.

After getting only four hits and no runs in the first seven, Texas finally got to Lester in the eighth. Ian Kinsler homered with one out. When Michael Young and Jason Ellison followed with singles, manager Terry Francona removed Lester, who had thrown 108 pitches.

“I have no doubt he could have gotten out of it in the eighth,” Francona said. “I’m just trying to protect him down the road.”

Lester, who has now won eight of his last nine decisions, was asked if he is at the top of his game.

“I’m feeling pretty good right now,” he responded. “I don’t know what the top or bottom is. But I’m just going out there trying to be consistent and give a quality start.”

His teammates did some quality work at the plate. The heart of the Boston order did much of the damage.

Kevin Youkilis, once again hitting in the cleanup spot behind David Ortiz, ripped doubles in each of his first three at-bats. He had one in the second to start a two-run inning.

In the third, the Rangers walked David Ortiz intentionally for the second night in a row. And, for the second night in a row, Youkilis made them pay, pulling a double to left that scored two runs. Jason Bay then doubled home two more.

Youkilis’ third double came as part of a two-run fifth. Ortiz started it with a single. After Bay walked, Jed Lowrie lashed a double to left, Boston’s sixth two-bagger of the night.

Youkilis has hit in every spot from second to sixth in the Boston order this season. He does not mind being the new cleanup hitter.

“I just go up and try to get hits or walks, get on base. You can’t worry about where you hit,” he said. “When you go up there, it’s not like they put a number on your back and say you’re hitting fourth today. You go up and you have the same at-bat.”

“I think you can make an excuse and say you don’t like doing that,” he added. “But that’s why we have guys here who do a great job hitting wherever. They just go up and have good at-bats. You can’t worry about it.”

“Youk comes to play every night,” Casey said. “The one thing about him is he comes up with big hits. He’s a winning player. … What Youk brings to a team, the energy he brings, you can’t measure it.

The Rangers made it interesting. After their four in the eighth, they put their first two on in the ninth against Justin Masterson. But Masterson got Kinsler on a double-play grounder back to the mound and retired Michael Young to end it.

pkenyon@projo.com