Athletics 4 - 7 Red Sox
Final
  for this game

Red Sox seek sweep of A's at Fenway Park

Jun 7, 2015 - 2:18 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Red Sox shoot for their first three-game win streak since the opening week of the season as they close out their series against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon.

Boston, which has won four of the last six outings and is now 5 1/2 games out of contention in the American League East, has won three straight only once this season with victories over the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees back in April. The team is hoping to make it happen again after topping the A's on Saturday by a score of 4-2.

Starter Joe Kelly was awarded the win as he worked his way through six innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks, striking out six, before giving way to a quartet of relievers. In the end it was Koji Uehara who pitched a perfect ninth to come up with his 13th save.

"I was commanding [my fastball]," Kelly said. "If I felt like I needed a little extra [velocity], I went for it in key situations where I needed a big out. I threw some good changeups today, got some early outs from those, some swings and misses."

The Boston offense was sparked by Hanley Ramirez who connected on his team- leading 13th home run of the campaign, one of his three hits as he knocked in a pair and scored twice. Also crossing the plate were Brock Holt and David Ortiz.

Mark Canha connected on his seventh home run for the A's, who are now 12 games under .500 and 11 1/2 games off the pace in the AL West where they are all alone in last place. Billy Burns added a triple and an RBI.

Jesse Chavez was saddled with his sixth loss in eight decisions as he surrendered four runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out five in as many innings.

Set to make just his eighth career start, Kendall Graveman heads to the mound for the visitors this afternoon in New England. The right-hander, who threw a total of just 4 2/3 innings all of last season for Toronto before joining the A's, is seeking his third straight win.

Graveman was on the bump against Detroit on Tuesday, lasting six innings in the Motor City as he surrendered three runs on eight hits and a couple of walks, en route to his third victory in four decisions.

As for the Red Sox, they too are sticking with a right-hander in the rotation as Clay Buchholz counters. The Texas native, who has been with Boston since 2007 and has a career mark of 3-2 with a 6.68 ERA versus Oakland, snapped a two-game slide in his most recent effort on Tuesday against Minnesota.

Buchholz surrendered just three hits over eight shutout innings versus the Twins, issuing two bases-on-balls and fanning eight in order to capture his third win in nine decisions.

Buchholz carries a manageable ERA into this contest at 3.82, but the Red Sox as a group are second from the bottom in the American League in that department with a 4.30 mark. Boston is also one of only three clubs in the AL, the others being Tampa Bay and Baltimore, that has yet to register a complete game from one of the starters.

At the plate, the Sox are second-to-last in the league in slugging (.373) and in the same position with regard to doubles (75).






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