No extra innings were needed Tuesday night in Oakland.
The Athletics jumped all over the Boston Red Sox in the first inning and coasted the rest of the way en route to a 9-2 shellacking at O.co Coliseum.
GAME IN A WORD
Yikes.
Red Sox right-hander Justin Masterson desperately needed a strong — or at least decent — outing after walking six batters in a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last week. Instead, he finished with nearly as many runs allowed (six) as outs recorded (seven).
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
A’s right fielder Josh Reddick opened the third inning with a leadoff home run, putting Oakland ahead 5-0 and possibly spelling the end of Masterson’s tenure as a starting pitcher in Boston.
ON THE BUMP
— The A’s wasted no time in getting to Masterson. After former Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp grounded out to lead off the bottom of the first, Marcus Semien yoked a triple to straightaway center. Mookie Betts tracked the ball but hesitated at the warning track, allowing it to carom off the wall. Another ex-Sox outfielder, Reddick, promptly singled to right, bringing home Semien with the game’s first run.
Oakland wasn’t done, though. Still in the first, Stephen Vogt deposited Masterson’s 20th pitch of the evening into the right field seats to put the A’s up 3-0. The catcher’s 31 RBIs this season leads the American League.
The second inning offered no respite for the righty, as Brett Lawrie led off the frame with a single and No. 9 hitter Eric Sogard drove him in with a one-out double. That made it 4-0 A’s, which was enough to get long reliever Steven Wright warming in the bullpen.
Oakland stretched that lead to 5-0 just two pitches into the third. Reddick got a hold of a waist-high, 88-mph fastball that left no doubt as it left the yard. One flyout and one walk later, Masterson’s night was done.
He lasted just 2 1/3 innings and was charged with six runs on six hits — four of which went for extra bases.
— Wright took over with one out in the third and didn’t exactly save the day — at least not at first. The knuckleballer allowed a walk, two singles and two runs (one of which was charged to Masterson) before retiring Crisp to finally end the third inning. By that point, it was 7-0 A’s.
Wright did settle down from there, though. After Semien homered to lead off the fourth, making it 8-0 A’s, the right-hander kept Oakland off the board in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, allowing just one hit and one walk in the process.
The A’s added one final insurance run in the eighth after Wright allowed a walk and two base hits, all with two outs. Reddick drove in Semien to cap off a 4-for-5 night.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— A’s starter Drew Pomerantz completely neutralized the Red Sox’s offense through the first five innings. Dustin Pedroia’s first-inning single was the only hit the Sox managed during that span, and Pedroia was gunned down by Crisp while trying to stretch it to a double.
Strong defense was a theme of the early innings for the A’s — who, ironically, are regarded as one of the worst fielding teams in the majors. Crisp, Sogard and Vogt all made highlight-reel catches, and Reddick and center fielder Sam Fuld recovered nicely from some questionable outfield reads.
— Boston finally broke through in the sixth. Shane Victorino did the honors, leading off the inning with a double and later scoring on an RBI groundout by rookie catcher Blake Swihart. It was an encouraging sign for the right fielder, who had gone hitless in his first five plate appearances since returning from the disabled list.
— The Red Sox’s second and final run came in the seventh. Dustin Pedroia reached on a leadoff single, advanced on an overthrow, took third on a groundout to the mound and scored on two-out base hit by Mike Napoli. That run ended Pedroia’s night, as Brock Holt took over at second base to begin the bottom of the seventh.
— The A’s outhit the Red Sox 12-4 in the ballgame.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Yep.
[tweet https://twitter.com/garystriewski/status/598322873162399744 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
The Red Sox wrap up their three-game series in Oakland on Wednesday afternoon before heading north for a four-game set against the Mariners in Seattle. The A’s will send their top hurler, Sonny Gray, to the mound for the series finale, and the Red Sox will counter with Wade Miley.
Thumbnail photo via Ed Szczepanski/USA TODAY Sports Images
