Athletics 6 - 8 Red Sox
Final
  for this game

Crawford helps Red Sox down A's

Jun 4, 2011 - 6:13 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Carl Crawford's two-run hit in the seventh inning pulled the Red Sox ahead for good, as Boston got past Oakland, 8-6, in the opener of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

David Ortiz collected two hits and drove in two runs, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia added a solo homer for the Red Sox, who snapped a four-game losing skid.

Bobby Jenks (2-2) turned in one inning of scoreless relief for the win, and Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect ninth to earn his 11th save.

Daric Barton and Mark Ellis knocked in two runs each for the Athletics, who have lost four straight games.

Joey Devine (0-1) was charged in defeat with two runs while recording two outs.

Boston moved ahead for good in the seventh. Devine loaded the bases with one out after a double from Adrian Gonzalez, hitting Kevin Youkilis and walking Ortiz. That forced the reliever out of the game in favor of Brian Fuentes, who immediately served up the key two-run, two-out single from Crawford and the Sox took a 7-6 lead.

"I was just trying to work [Fuentes] a little bit," Crawford said. "I decided I was going to wait until he threw a strike. I ended up getting to 3-2 where I had to swing and I was able to find a hole."

Saltalamacchia greeted Michael Wuertz with a homer to right-center in the eighth, then Papelbon locked up the win by retiring Oakland in order in the ninth.

Oakland tallied four times in the first inning off BoSox starter Clay Buchholz thanks to a Hideki Matsui fielder's choice grounder, an RBI hit from Barton and a two-run single by Ellis.

Boston came up with two in the home half against Oakland's Josh Outman on a Gonzalez groundout and RBI single from Ortiz, then got within 4-3 in the second as Crawford led off with a base hit and later came in on a Jacoby Ellsbury sacrifice fly.

Youkilis walked with one out in the third and scored when Ortiz followed with a double. The Sox led 5-4 when Jed Lowrie added an RBI single.

Coco Crisp drove in the tying score on a grounder to first with runners on the corners in the fourth, then Josh Willingham began the fifth with a double and scored on Barton's two-out hit for a 6-5 A's edge.

Following that single, Buchholz was pulled. He allowed eight hits and six runs -- five earned -- over 4 2/3 innings. Outman lasted only 2 2/3 frames and was tagged for five hits and four earned runs.

"We start back over tomorrow with what I expect to be better results," A's manager Bob Geren said.

Game Notes

Boston has won three of the last four meetings with Oakland dating back to last September...Prior to the game, the Red Sox placed pitcher Rich Hill on the 15-day disabled list, transferred pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to the 60-day disabled list, and selected the contract of pitcher Tommy Hottovy from Triple- A Pawtucket...Following the game, the Red Sox announced that Matsuzaka will undergo ligament replacement surgery next week, and miss the remainder of the season...Also prior to the contest, the Athletics placed pitcher Grant Balfour on the paternity list and recalled pitcher Fautino De Los Santos from Triple-A Sacramento.






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