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Red Sox hoping for more offense at Athletics

Apr 13, 2009 - 5:06 AM By Mike Lipka Stats Writer

Boston (2-4) at Oakland (2-4), 10:05 p.m. EDT

OAKLAND, California (AP) -- After starting the season by losing series against their two playoff opponents last season, the Boston Red Sox are hoping a seemingly softer stretch of their schedule will help them get on track.

Boston will hope to fire up its struggling offense as it continues a West Coast trip by opening a three-game series Monday night at Oakland, where the Athletics have lost their first three home games.

The Red Sox (2-4) went into the season anticipating a tough battle in perhaps the league's most difficult division, and after a week they find themselves in the AL East cellar thanks to difficult matchups against Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels.

After losing two of three at home to the Rays -- the team that ousted Boston in last year's AL Championship Series -- the Red Sox dropped their weekend series in Anaheim.

Boston beat the Angels in the division series last fall, but even ace Josh Beckett couldn't pitch the team to victory in the series' decisive game Sunday as the Red Sox lost 5-4.

A Beckett pitch that sailed high and inside on Bobby Abreu sparked a benches-clearing incident, but Boston's offense has yet to consistently ignite.

Although Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew each homered for the first time this season Sunday, the Red Sox stranded 10 runners and have averaged 3.4 runs while losing four of five, with Dustin Pedroia (.167 average) and David Ortiz (.200) off to difficult starts.

"I just think we have some guys after six games that are hitting one-something," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told his team's official Web site. "That happens. That will change. I wish our record was better for the first week. It's not. Hopefully we'll make the next couple of days count."

Before a four-game home set against Baltimore this weekend, they'll try against one of Oakland's young starters, as left-hander Dallas Braden tries to improve on his opening day performance.

Despite limited major league experience, the 25-year-old Braden (0-1, 4.50 ERA) got the ball to start the season due to Justin Duchscherer's injury, and he wasn't pleased after giving up three runs and nine hits in six innings of a 3-0 loss to the Angels last Monday.

"If you're going to pitch in the one slot, it's got to be better than that," Braden said. "You're going to be competing against guys who hold offenses to one and two runs all year long."

That type of performance is what the Red Sox have come to expect from Jon Lester (0-1, 9.00) after the southpaw's breakout season last year, but Lester struggled in his 2009 debut Wednesday against Tampa Bay, allowing five runs in five innings of a 7-2 defeat.

"Obviously, it wasn't the outcome I wanted or expected, but I got my pitch count up in a high-intensity game and proved to myself I can pitch out of some jams," Lester said. "... I think it just puts me in the right direction."

The A's (2-4) have already struggled with left-handed pitching this season, twice getting shut out when facing a talented southpaw.

Los Angeles' Joe Saunders gave up three hits in 6 2-3 innings against Braden on opening day, and Seattle's Erik Bedard tossed 8 1-3 masterful innings in the Mariners' 1-0 win in Oakland on Sunday. Jason Giambi is 0-for-7 in those two games.

Sunday's A's loss completed a three-game sweep in which they scored only nine runs and stranded 29 runners.

After the teams opened last season in Japan, the Red Sox took the first two games at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2008, but they were swept in three games in their most recent set there May 23-25.