BOSTON — When the season began, Eric Hinske, Jacoby Ellsbury and Kason Gabbard were not the guys who would be expected to pull the Red Sox out of a mini-slump. For that matter, Dustin Pedroia and Julio Lugo were not high on the list, either.

Yet, those are the players who got Boston back on track last night, the stars as the Sox beat Texas, 7-3.

When a team has lost five of six, as Boston had entering the game, it is happy to get any kind of hitting. It came from surprising places this time.

“We’ll take offense anywhere we can get it,” manager Terry Francona said. “Any time you put up crooked numbers and the middle of your order doesn’t do it, it’s a big lift for your ball club.”

Hinske was not even supposed to play. However, about 90 minutes before game time, Kevin Youkilis was scratched because of tightness in his left quad. Hinske was given the start at first base, and he responded with two of the game’s biggest hits. He started a three-run third inning with a single on which he literally threw his bat at the ball. And he capped a four-run fifth with a 400-foot bases-clearing triple.

Ellsbury, in his third game since being promoted from Pawtucket, had two hits and a walk and stole a base. Beyond that, the speedster had his first major moment to remember when he raced all the way home from second base on a wild pitch by Texas reliever Willie Eyre.

Gabbard, the lefty who has spent most of the season in Pawtucket with Ellsbury, did not allow a hit for 4 1/3 innings and went 5 2/3 in all, allowing three runs, to record the victory.

It was a matter of finding a way to win, and the Sox did it with the unexpected heroes. Francona used Hinske as an example of how all 25 players on his team are asked to help.

“We like to talk a lot about how he’s as professional as you can get,” Francona said. “When he does something, the whole bench stands up.”

Hinske opened the third with a soft single to center. With two strikes on him, he literally threw his bat at the ball and got just enough to get it over the infield.

Ellsbury followed with a little bouncer to the right side that was out of the reach of pitcher Brandon McCarthy. Second baseman Desi Relaford, knowing Ellsbury’s speed, tried to barehand it. It was questionable whether he would have been able to get Ellsbury, anyway, but he had no chance when he could not pick it up cleanly.

Lugo, still in his hitless slump (0-for-31), then put down a perfect sacrifice that made third baseman Travis Metcalf field the ball. It allowed Hinske and Ellsbury to easily advance a base.

Pedroia then fell behind, 0-2. Trying to protect the plate to get the runner from third in, he went the other way. He lined a shot just inside the line in right for a double that scored both runners. Pedroia jogged home on Manny Ramirez’s double, a rocket to center that missed getting into the bleachers by a foot or two.

In the fourth, Ellsbury singled with two outs and Lugo walked. With Pedroia at the plate, Eyre bounced in a pitch that deflected off catcher Gerald Laird and kicked wildly toward the Texas dugout

Ellsbury, seeing the play from develop from his spot at second, took off at full speed immediately, cut the bag nicely at third and never broke stride. He scored to make it 4-0.

Francona was impressed with more than Ellsbury’s speed.

“The speed is fun, but the instincts are pretty impressive,” the manager said. “That was a treat to watch.” Francona spoke about how Ellsbury already has shown a great feel for the game, that he has been coached well and knows the right way to play.

Texas cut its deficit to 4-3 in the fifth when Gabbard walked Marlon Byrd. Laird had the Rangers’ first hit, a single to left, and on the next pitch Brad Wilkerson ripped a shot into the Texas bullpen, his 10th homer of the season.

Boston responded in the bottom of the inning with Hinske coming through big time. Ramirez and J.D. Drew walked and Jason Varitek singled, loading the bases with two outs.

Hinske got ahead in the count and then crushed a shot to center. Kenny Lofton raced back after it but could not catch up with it as it landed at the base of the bleacher wall. All three runners scored and Hinske had a standup triple

The bullpen, namely Mike Timlin, Javier Lopez, Kyle Snyder and Hideki Okajima, finished up with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. The bullpen work has not gone quite the way it was expected back in April. But the Sox have loved the results there, just as they did with the unexpected offensive stars last night.

pkenyon@projo.com