The skid ends at four.
The Boston Red Sox fought from behind Wednesday and finally took the lead for the first and final time in the ninth inning to end their losing streak and beat the Oakland Athletics 6-3 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Nathan Eovaldi improved from his first start, but struggled a bit with his command as he gave up three earned runs on four hits. The right-hander surrendered four walks and struck out three over five innings. Marco Estrada gave up three runs (two earned) over 5 1/3 innings of work for the A’s.
A crucial challenge in the eighth inning by manager Alex Cora erased the go-ahead run for Oakland, and Mookie Betts delivered the game-winning runs in the ninth inning to snap the skid and get the Sox back in the win column.
Blake Swihart (3-for-4) mashed his first home run of the season.
With the win, the Red Sox improved to 2-5, while the Athletics dropped to 5-4.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Runs.
Boston’s offense finally came alive after being shutout by Oakland in its previous two games.
ON THE BUMP
— Eovaldi got into a bit of trouble early when he hit Matt Chapman and followed that up by walking Stephen Piscotty with one out. He was able to get out of the jam by getting Khris Davis to ground into a double play.
The right-hander got into more trouble in the following inning, allowing back-to-back singles to Kendrys Morales and Jurickson Profar. Eovaldi walked Marcus Semien to load up the bases with nobody out but fanned Ramon Laureano before allowing another single to load the bases. Robbie Grossman flew out before Nick Hundley sent an absolute laser directly into Rafael Devers’ glove, knocking it off the third baseman’s hands and allowing a run to score to give the A’s 1-0 lead. The threat ended when Chapman grounded out to short.
— The A’s extended their lead in the fourth when Eovaldi walked Semien on four straight pitches, paving the way for Laureano to blast a two-run shot to center to up the lead to 3-0.
Eovaldi bounced back with a 1-2-3 fifth before his night came to an end.
— Colten Brewer pitched a clean sixth with two strikeouts. He came back out for the seventh and got two quick outs before walking Piscotty, prompting a call to the bullpen.
— Matt Barnes got Davis to strike out swinging. The ball got away from Swihart, but he recovered and threw down to first to officially end Oakland’s threat.
The right-hander came back out for the eighth and got the first two outs before giving up a single to Semien. Semien then stole second and took third after Swihart threw the ball into the outfield. Laureano appeared to drive in his teammate when he was called safe at first on a Brock Holt throw from deep short. But Cora challenged the play and the call was overturned, which ended the inning and kept the game tied.
— Ryan Brasier closed out the game in the ninth for his first career save.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox got one back in the fifth when Swihart sent a 76 mph changeup to center field for his first home run of the season and end Boston’s 23 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball in Oakland.
— What should have been a clean sixth for the A’s turned into some offensive momentum for the Red Sox.
Betts led off the inning with a walk before Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging. Devers hit what should have been an inning-ending double play, but an errant throw by Profar allowed Betts to take third and Devers to be safe at first. Estrada walked J.D. Martinez to load the bases, ending his night.
Ryan Buchter came on in relief and allowed Mitch Moreland to tie the game 3-3 when the first baseman lined a double down the right-field line on the first pitch.
— Boston put the lead runner on in the ninth in Eduardo Nuñez, who thrown out at first after attempting to steal second but turned around on the throw.
Swihart continued his strong night with a sharp single before Jackie Bradley Jr. followed that up with a single of his own, bringing Betts to the plate with two outs. The runners advanced on a wild pitch from Fernando Rodney, and Betts delivered with a double that bounced off third base and drove in two runs for the 5-3 lead.
Benintendi drove in the Red Sox’s sixth run with a long triple and his first hit of the night.
— Swihart led the way for the Sox with three hits, while six other batters accounted for one. Devers and Holt were the only members of the starting nine to go hitless.
TWEET OF THE GAME
MVP from coast to coast.
UP NEXT
Boston wraps up its four-game set with Oakland on Thursday afternoon when Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound for the Red Sox, countering the Athletics’ Brett Anderson. First pitch from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is slated for 3:37 p.m. ET.
