OAKLAND -- One pitch spelled the difference for the Red Sox. David Price's 96th offering of the game was clubbed by Khris Davis for a tie-breaking three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, giving the A's a 4-1 victory over the Sox.
The loss meant the Red Sox have lost consecutive games for the first time this season. It also marked the first time the Sox had lost a series this season; they had previously been 6-0.
The Sox had rallied to tie the game in the seventh on a double into the right field corner by Brock Holt. Until then, the Red Sox had gone 18 innings without a run, dating back to the sixth inning Friday night.
Oakland took a 1-0 lead four batters into the game when Marcus Semien doubled, moved to third on a groundout and came around on a single to left by Davis, who knocked in all four of the A's runs.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Oakland A's
WHEN: 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox had their eight-game winning streak snapped Saturday night in dramatic fashion when they were no-hit by A's lefty Sean Manaea, who struck out 10 and walked two. It was the first no-hitter against the Sox since 1993. The A's have won five of their last six games as the teams head into the finale of the three-game series, with Boston having a chance to win its seventh straight series.
STARTING PITCHES: LHP David Price (2-1, 2.25) vs. RHP Daniel Mengden (2-2, 4.50).
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS
6:37 One bad pitch from David Price (likely) does the Red Sox in. An 87-mph cutter over the middle is hit out by Khris Davis for a three-run homer. That was Price's 96th pitch of the afternoon.
6:25 Another baserunner stranded for the Sox in the top of the eighth; Boston is 1-for-7 with RISP.
6:02 Red Sox squander a chance to add on. With runners at second and third, Christian Vazquez pops out to first ad Tzu-Wei Lin strikes out. Total number of pitches thrown by reliever Yusmeiro Petit: four.
5:53 Alert play by Oakland catcher Bruce Maxwell, who pounces on a swinging bunt from Swihart and cuts down Mitch Moreland, the lead baserunner, at third base.
5:45 Certainly nothing to complain about when it comes to Price's outing. He allowed the solo run in the first, but nothing since. A's have just one baserunner in scoring position since the first. He's walked one and fanned four.
5:22 Would seem the Red Sox are being a little too aggressive against Mengden - they saw only 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 third and 12 in the fourth when they went down in order again.
5:10 If nothing else, the Sox appear to have cooled off Jed Lowrie. The infielder had four hits in the series opener Friday night and a double in the first inning Saturday, but the Sox retired him in his final three at-bats Saturday night and Price has struck him out twice in two plate appearances today.
5:01 The Sox haven't scored since the sixth inning Friday night. That's 15 straight innings without a run after averaging nine runs per game in their previous series in Anaheim.
4:33 This is the third straight game in which the A's have scored first, and also, scored in the first inning. Then again, falling behind early hasn't been much of a deterrent for the Red Sox, who are 7-2 when the opponents score first.
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Bradley RF
Benintendi CF
Martinez LF
Moreland 1B
Devers 3B
Swihart DH
Holt 2B
Vazquez C
Lin SS
A's
Semien SS
Piscotty RF
Lowrie 2B
Davis DH
Chapman 3B
Canha 1B
Pinder LF
Smolinski CF
Maxwell C
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Alex Cora explained giving the day off to Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez. "We're taking advantage of tomorrow, (and giving them) back-to-back days. I know we have (Monday) off, but we came all the way out to the West Coast, some long games...I think it makes sense. We do feel with the lineup today, we have a good game plan and we have guys who can put the ball in play.''
- Blake Swihart gets a rare start -- just his second of the season -- at DH. "He needs at-bats and he's a good offensive player,'' said Cora. "The question was where he was going to play; it was either left field or DH. I asked J.D. (Martinez) what he would rather do and he said he would rather play the outfield.''
- RHP Austin Maddox, who was sidelined in the spring with shoulder soreness, threw an "aggressive bullpens Wednesday'' in extended spring training which went well. He'll throw one more before graduating to live BP sessions.