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Wakefield denied again as A's pound Red Sox

Aug 27, 2011 - 4:45 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Tim Wakefield was denied his 200th win for the sixth time, as the Athletics pounded out 16 hits in a 15-5 victory over Boston to open a three-game series.

Josh Willingham homered and knocked in four runs, Scott Sizemore blasted a two-run homer and David DeJesus knocked in three in Oakland's seventh win in 10 games.

Gio Gonzalez (11-11) lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five for the win.

Wakefield (6-6) allowed eight runs -- four earned -- on eight hits and two walks through four innings. He has not won since July 24 and has allowed 28 runs -- 21 earned -- over his last six starts.

"I think the biggest disappointment is I didn't get deep in the game. I've got to take my personal numbers now and throw them out the window right now," said Wakefield. "That win will eventually happen hopefully but I think the thing I pride the most is giving the club quality innings and get late in the game and not have to use the bullpen like we did tonight."

David Ortiz went 3-for-4 with a solo home run as Boston had its three-game win streak snapped. Outfielder Darnell McDonald pitched the ninth inning, allowing two runs.

"It was a bad day, man. We just got our [butts] kicked," said Ortiz. "Nothing you can do about it but come back tomorrow and fight back."

The Red Sox still hold a one-game lead over the Yankees for first place in the AL East after New York lost in Baltimore on Friday.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the bottom of the first with a double into the left- field corner, stole third and crossed the plate on Adrian Gonzalez's base hit to give the Red Sox an early 1-0 advantage.

The lead didn't last long, however, as Brandon Allen started the second with a double and came home the next batter on a DeJesus single to right. DeJesus then moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a Kurt Suzuki ground out and scored on a soft liner into right by Cliff Pennington to put the A's ahead, 2-1.

Oakland increased its lead in the fourth when Sizemore hammered a first-pitch, floating knuckleball over the monster in left field for a two-run homer.

It could have been the only damage done in the inning, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia let a swinging third strike with two outs go through his legs and Jemile Weeks took first on the passed ball. Coco Crisp followed with a walk, and Hideki Matsui brought Weeks and Crisp home with a double high off the wall in right-center. Willingham then belted his 23rd home run of the year to make it an 8-1 game.

"This game was a case of us going up against a good opponent. These guys came in here hot, swinging the bat hot, they were swinging really good. The best I could do was hold them down a little bit," said Gonzalez.

"I give credit to the offense and definitely the bullpen. Those guys came in and held us up, especially coming from New York after a long game like that, we got some guys coming out of the pen and sucking it up and pitching."

Dustin Pedroia and Ortiz led off the home half of the fourth with back-to-back homers, and a Marco Scutaro groundout to short plated Ellsbury after a leadoff triple in the fifth to close the gap to 8-4.

But Oakland, after giving up a 7-1 lead to the Yankees on Thursday, added a run in the seventh on a Pennington double off the base of the wall in right, and four more runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Allen, a two-run double by DeJesus and a run-scoring single by Suzuki to take a 13-4 lead.

McDonald walked the first two batters he faced on 10 pitches in the ninth inning. He then recorded two outs before allowing a two-run double to left by Willingham.

Josh Reddick's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth accounted for the final score.

Game Notes

Boston recalled pitcher Scott Atchison from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned catcher Ryan Lavarnway to the farm club Friday...Red Sox outfielder Carl Crawford was given the day off...Ortiz extended his hit streak to 10 games...Gonzalez improved to 2-1 against the Red Sox in five starts and 3-7 in 12 road starts this year...Boston fell to 4-2 against the A's this season...Oakland is now 3-1 on a 10-game road trip.