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A's Gonzalez tries to extend hot start vs. Red Sox

Apr 20, 2011 - 2:36 PM (Sports Network) - Oakland Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez has only given up one run in his three starts this season and will take the mound this afternoon versus the Boston Red Sox in the finale of a two-game series at the Coliseum.

Gonzalez defeated Seattle with seven innings of one-run ball in his 2011 debut on April 3, then fired six scoreless frames at Minnesota in his next start. He previously took the hill in Thursday's 3-0 loss to Detroit, but did not receive a decision for holding the Twins to a pair of hits in six innings.

The southpaw has made three starts in his career against Boston, going 1-0 with a pedestrian 5.51 earned run average.

Oakland starter Brett Anderson took care of the Red Sox in last night's series opener by throwing eight shutout innings of four-hit ball with eight strikeouts and one walk. Red Sox starter John Lackey was impressed with the way Anderson held the opposition in check.

"You have to give Anderson a lot of credit. That kid has good stuff," Lackey said of his counterpart.

Craig Breslow and Brian Fuentes went the rest of the way to preserve the shutout. Hideki Matsui drove in two runs, while Daric Barton, Kurt Suzuki and David DeJesus each had an RBI for the Athletics, who have won three straight and seven of 10 games.

Boston started its nine-game road trip on a sour note, as Lackey suffered his second loss of the season after he yielded just one run and four hits in six innings. Hideki Okajima was reached for three runs in relief and lasted just two-thirds of an inning.

Adrian Gonzalez had a team-best two hits and Carl Crawford ended with one hit for the Red Sox, who had a three-game winning streak come to an end. Crawford is hitting just .143 with two RBI and three runs scored after signing a mega deal in the offseason.

The Red Sox will also visit the Angels and Orioles on the trek.

A 17-game winner from a year ago, Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz is still searching for win No. 1 in 2011 and will try again Wednesday by the Bay. Buchholz, who went 17-7 in 28 starts last year, is 0-2 with a 6.60 earned run average in three starts this season.

Buchholz did not record a decision the last time out in a 7-6 loss versus Toronto on Friday, as he yielded three runs and three hits in five innings.

The right-hander may not get his first win of the season since he's 0-2 with an unattractive 10.13 earned run average in three career starts against the Athletics.

Oakland is 10-3 in the previous 13 matchups with the Red Sox at the Coliseum.