Boston has turned things around following a miserable start, but it has been the Red Sox rotation, not it’s star-studded lineup, that is leading the way.

John Lackey did his part on Sunday, scattering six hits in a 7-0 victory over the host Los Angeles Angels that extended Boston’s winning streak to five. It was also the ninth straight time a Red Sox starter pitched at least five innings and allowed fewer than three runs. The staff has a 0.88 ERA during this stretch, tied for the longest such streak in franchise history, set in 1946.

The team is now 10-11 after a 2-10 start and is 8-1 during this stretch of dominating starting pitching.

“Sure, there’s definitely a sense of not wanting to be the guy to stop the streak,” Lackey said. “It’s a pretty good run, but it’s not unexpected. We’ve got some guys here with some pretty good track records.”

Lackey (2-2) struck out six and stranded eight baserunners, becoming the third straight Boston starter to hold the Angels scoreless. The right-hander’s solid outing came on the heels of Daisuke Matsuzaka’s eight innings of one-hit ball in Saturday night’s 5-0 victory.

Josh Beckett allowed two runs and just three hits over eight innings in the series opener before the Red Sox won 4-2 in 11. The next night, Jon Lester gave up four hits in six scoreless innings of a 4-3 win, helping Boston’s rotation carve out a minuscule 0.60 ERA in the series. The only blemish was Torii Hunter’s two-run

homer off Beckett.

“I think it obviously helps to see somebody do it. You just try to follow it and not screw it up,” Lester said after Sunday’s game.

Dodgers: Andre Ethier had an RBI single in the first inning of Sunday’s 7-3 win to extend his hitting-streak to 21 games. Ethier is one of only three players in baseball history with hits in 21 or more consecutive games in April. Ethier’s former manager Joe Torre had a 22-game streak in 1972, and Arizona’s Danny Bautista hit in 21 straight in 2004.

Rangers: Arthur Rhodes got the final out of Texas’ 8-7 win over Kansas City for his first save since 2008.

The 41-year-old left-hander became the oldest player to get a save for Texas, only a day after 40-year-old Darren Oliver set that mark with regular closer Neftali Feliz on the disabled list. Rhodes is the eighth-oldest player in major league history to record a save.

Phillies: Closer Jose Contreras was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow. The move is retroactive to Friday. Contreras, filling in for injured closer Brad Lidge, has five saves. Ryan Madson will move into the closer’s role. To take Contreras’ spot on the roster, the Phillies will purchase the contract of Michael Stutes from Lehigh Valley.

Brewers: Zach Greinke pitched 22/3 innings, giving up three hits and two runs with a walk and a two strikeouts in a rehab start Sunday at Triple-A Nashville. The former Cy Young award winner with Kansas City started the season on the disabled list for his new team because of a broken rib. He will need at least one more minor league start before joining Milwaukee.