The push to string together a pair of wins will have to wait for the Boston Red Sox.
On the heels of a dramatic victory against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night, Boston was trying to salvage its four-game stint against the A’s with its first back-to-back wins of 2019, but came up short in a 7-3 loss at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Thursday afternoon.
Eduardo Rodriguez was hit with the loss, going 3 2/3 innings while allowing six runs, all earned. He moves to 0-2 on the season. Brett Anderson registered the win for Oakland.
Stephen Piscotty led the Athletics’ attack with with four hits, including a three-run homer, and five RBIs.
The Red Sox fall to 2-6 with the loss, while Oakland now is 6-4.
GAME IN A WORD
Dispiriting.
The Red Sox were unable to hold a three-run lead, and drop three of four to the A’s as a result.
ON THE BUMP
— It was a second shaky start for Rodriguez, as the left-hander would not make it out of the fourth inning, exiting with a 6-3 deficit. He allowed eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
After scoreless frames in the first and second inning, allowing just two baserunners, things started to come apart in the third inning, as the lefty squandered a three-run lead.
Josh Phegley doubled down left field line to lead off the inning. Marcus Semien then drew a walk with one out, which brought up Piscotty.
Rodriguez then fell behind in the at-bat 2-0 after two changeups, then came back with a 92 mph fastball middle-middle that Piscotty clobbered over the center field wall to tie the game at three.
The wheels came off in the fourth, as Rodriguez would not make it out of the inning.
After a one-out walk to Ramon Laureano, Rodriguez gave up a single to Phegley, then a double to Robbie Grossman, which plated Laureano to make it 4-3. Piscotty continued to club the 25-year-old, drilling a ball to the right-center field gap with two outs. After a miscommunication between Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., the ball dropped in and bounced over the wall for a two-run ground rule double to make 6-3.
Rodriguez was pulled after intentionally walking Khris Davis.
— Hector Velazquez got the Sox out of the jam in the fourth, getting Chad Pinder to ground out.
After allowing a leadoff single to Mark Canha in the fifth, Velazquez got Jurickson Profar to ground into a double play, then got Laureano to fly out to end the frame.
The sixth did not go as smoothly for the reliever, allowing three straight two-out singles to Semien, Piscotty and Davis that led to the Athletics taking a 7-3 lead.
— Heath Hembree got through the seventh, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Hembree allowed just a two-out walk in a scoreless eighth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston got going early with a crooked number in the first inning thanks to a shaky frame from Anderson.
Betts led off with a single and was safe at second when the A’s tried to force him out on an Andrew Benintendi sacrifice bunt. J.D. Martinez lofted a one-out single to right to load the bases, and Anderson then walked Xander Bogaerts to bring in a run. After Eduardo Nunez popped out, Brock Holt drew a two-out walk to plate another run and make it 2-0.
— The Sox tacked on more runs in the third. Steve Pearce singled off the wall in left to lead off the frame, but was gunned down trying to stretch a double. Martinez followed with an opposite field home run to make it 3-0.
— Brock Holt singled to start the fourth, then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. After a Bradley Jr. fly out, Betts was intentionally walked with two outs. That paved the way for a Benintendi single, which loaded the bases. Pearce struck out swinging at a slider to end the threat.
— Martinez and Benintendi were the only Red Sox hitters with multiple knocks. Betts, Pearce, Bogaerts, Holt and Bradley Jr. also lined hits. Blake Swihart had a pinch-hit single in the eighth hitting for Nunez.
— The Sox nearly threatened in the ninth, with Betts drawing a leadoff walk, only to be drilled out trying to take third on a bloop single to center by Benintendi, on yet another outfield assist for Laureano. Liam Hendriks retired Mitch Moreland and Martinez to close the game.
— Boston left 21 runners on base.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Sums it up.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox head into the final leg of their road trip out West with a three-game stint against the Arizona Diamondbacks that begins Friday night. First pitch from Chase Field is slated for 7:10 p.m. ET.
