Final/12
Red Sox off to slow to start
Apr 14, 2009 - 12:15 PM By Mike Lipka Stats WriterBoston (2-5) at Oakland (3-4), 10:05 p.m. EDT
OAKLAND, California (AP) -- If the Boston Red Sox weren't already concerned about their slow start, a blowout loss to open their series in Oakland provided further cause for alarm.
Having dropped five of six going into the second game of its three-game set against the Athletics, Boston hopes its dormant offense and right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka will both get untracked Tuesday night.
After winning the World Series in 2007 and coming within a game of another AL pennant last year, the Red Sox (2-5) haven't looked like a championship-caliber team to start this season.
While the club's beleaguered starting rotation has a 5.66 ERA, Boston's bats are hitting just .235 after struggling in Monday night's 8-2 loss in Oakland.
Kevin Youkilis homered and doubled and is hitting .519, but he's the only Red Sox regular off to a good start at the plate. Reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia is hitting .179, David Ortiz is still looking for his first extra-base hit and Mike Lowell is 4-for-26 (.154) as he tries to rebound from hip surgery.
The struggles have added up to Boston's worst start since a 2-12 opening to the 1996 season, and Matsuzaka's first outing didn't help.
Coming off a season in which he lost three times in 29 starts, Matsuzaka (0-1, 6.75 ERA) suffered his first defeat of 2009 in his season debut, allowing four runs on three home runs in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
The Japanese right-hander struggled with efficiency, throwing 100 pitches in 5 1-3 innings and walking three.
"Right now, not being able to go deep in games is stressful, both for myself and the bullpen," Matsuzaka told his team's official Web site.
He went 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three outings against Oakland last year, but averaged fewer than six innings in those starts despite giving up just eight total hits.
The A's (3-4) attempted to upgrade their offense in the offseason, and though they've were shut out twice in the season's first week, they scored five runs in the second inning off Boston's Jon Lester on Monday.
Newcomers Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi each drove in a pair of runs, while former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra hit his first home run as a member of the A's in his first-ever game against Boston.
During his ninth season with the Red Sox in 2004, Garciaparra was traded away at the deadline.
"It was just the strangest thing," Garciaparra said. "The last time I saw (Jason) Varitek behind the plate like that was in an intrasquad game a long time ago. It just felt weird."
After Dallas Braden stymied the Red Sox in the series opener, Dana Eveland - another young left-hander - will try for a similar result. Eveland (0-0, 4.50) gave up three runs in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, in a game the A's won 6-4 by scoring all their runs in the final two innings.
"I kept the team in the game, which is obviously the goal," Eveland said. "With the team we have this year, you just get back on the mound, throw strikes, get as deep into the game as I possibly can, and let our big bats go to work."
Eveland was unable to do that in his lone previous start against the Red Sox. He gave up nine runs in two-plus innings at Fenway Park last Aug. 2, allowing home runs to Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis in Boston's 12-2 win.
The Red Sox have lost four straight and 11 of 14 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
- AL
FINAL 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
- - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
OAKLAND 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 11 12 R H E
-- -- -- - - -
BOSTON 0 0 0 5 12 1
OAKLAND 0 0 1 6 11 2 (FINAL 12)
BATTERIES: BOS
Apr 15 2:33 AM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TRAVIS BUCK SCORED RAJAI DAVIS.
FINAL SCORE: OAKLAND 6, BOSTON 5
Red Sox 5, Athletics 6 Bot 12, 0 OutsApr 15 2:33 AM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MIKE LOWELL SCORED J.D. DREW.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M LOWELL ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 5
OAKLAND 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J VARITEK (.227, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Red Sox 5, Athletics 5 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 14 11:55 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY JASON BAY SCORED KEVIN YOUKILIS.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J DREW ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 4
OAKLAND 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: M LOWELL (.179, 1-FOR-2, RBI)
Red Sox 4, Athletics 5 Top 5, 0 OutsApr 14 11:51 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY MARK ELLIS SCORED NOMAR GARCIAPARRA.
SITUATION: 5 RUNS IN, M ELLIS ON FIRST, T BUCK ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
OAKLAND 5 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R SWEENEY (.313, 1-FOR-1)
Red Sox 3, Athletics 5 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 10:47 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY TRAVIS BUCK SCORED JACK CUST.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, T BUCK ON FIRST, N GARCIAPARRA ON THIRD, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
OAKLAND 4 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: M ELLIS (.250, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
Red Sox 3, Athletics 4 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 10:46 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JACK CUST SCORED MATT HOLLIDAY.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J CUST ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
OAKLAND 3 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: N GARCIAPARRA (.217, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
Red Sox 3, Athletics 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 10:39 PM - AL
AT OAKLAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MATT HOLLIDAY SCORED RYAN SWEENEY AND ORLANDO
CABRERA.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M HOLLIDAY ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3
OAKLAND 2 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: J CUST (.381, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
Red Sox 3, Athletics 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 10:37 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 3 3 4 0
OAKLAND 0 0 0 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: BOS - DAISUKE MATSUZAKA
OAK - DANA EVELAND
DUE UP FOR OAKLAND: R SWEENEY (.290, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
O CABRERA (.346, 0 HR, 3 RBI)
J GIAMBI (.346, 0 HR, 3 RB
Red Sox 3, Athletics 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsApr 14 10:25 PM
Related News
- Elephant Rumblings: Post-Christmas lull at full throttle Dec 26
- OTM Open Thread 12/25: It is Monday Dec 25
- Twas The Night Before Christmas... Dec 24
- Elephant Rumblings: Luis Morales a prospect to watch in 2024 Dec 24
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Lawrence Butler Dec 23
- Elephant Rumblings: Giants Strike Out in Free Agency Once Again Dec 23
- OTM Open Thread 12/23: It is Saturday Dec 23
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: Esteury Ruiz Dec 22
- OTM Open Thread 12/22: It is Friday Dec 22
- Elephant Rumblings: MLB approves 2024 rule changes Dec 22
- From Roman Gladiators to Red Sox, We’re Still Here Dec 22
- 2023 Athletics Season in Review: JJ Bleday Dec 21