Final: Athletics 7, Red Sox 0 - Poor start continues as Red Sox blanked

It was more of the same for the Red Sox Monday night -- and none of it was good.

The Red Sox gave up four more homers -- bringing their total allowed to a stunning 15 in just five games -- and were shutout by the Oakland A's, 7-0, for their fourth loss in five games.

David Price kept the Sox in the game for the first five innings, allowing just two solo homers up to that point. But Chad Pinder took him out with a runner on base in the sixth, doubling the A's lead. They then tacked on three more against Heath Hembree in the eighth.

Meanwhile, the Sox could muster little offensively, collecting just four hits., including just two after the second inning. Oakland starter Aaron Brooks, making his first big league start since 2015, blanked them over the first six innings.

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

12:35      The barrage continues as the A's tack on three more against Heath Hembree - a leadoff homer by Matt Chapman followed by run-scoring singles up the middle from pinch-hitter Kendrys Morales and Chad Pinder.

12:05    JD Martinez greets Liam Hendriks by lining a hard single to left, the first Red Sox base hit since the second inning.

11:56       For the third time tonight, an aggressive approach by the A's hitters pays off. Chad Pinder swings at the first pitch he sees from Price -- a changeup -- and hammers it into the left field seats. Of the three homers Price has allowed, two have come on the first pitch and the third came on the second pitch of the at-bat.

11:50      With that strikeout of Stephen Piscotty to open the sixth, Price has now fanned every member of the A's starting lineup for a total of nine for the game.

11:42      Long, drawn-out battle by Jackie Bradley, who goes 11 pitches deep against Brooks before fouling out to left.

11:14      Red Sox haven't been able to get anything done against Aaron Brooks, who is Oakland's No. 5 starter -- just two hits to date, and they were back-to-back in the second inning.

10:46    The long ball strikes again. Ramon Laureano jumps on a first-pitch fastball and clubs it straightaway center. That's 13 homers in just over four games.

10:33   The Red Sox continue to have trouble keeping the ball in the ballpark. Khris Davis lead off the second by cranking a changeup out to center. That's 12 homers allowed by the Sox this season.

10:28  Incredible throw from Oakland center field Ramon Laureano nails Xander Bogaerts at the plate. Laureano has a cannon and showed it off with a terrific throw on the side, cutting down Bogaerts after a sharp single to CF by Mitch Moreland.

10:17 In the (very) early going, Price looks strong -- commanding to both sides of the plate, touching 94 mph with his four-seamer and needing just 11 pitches in the first. The Sox desperately need a deep quality start from Price given how the weekend went in Seattle and he's off to a good start.

WHO: Red Sox vs. Oakland A's
WHEN: 10:05 p.m.
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP David Price (16-7, 3.58 in 2018) vs. RHP Aaron Brooks (0-0, 0.00)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93. 7 FM



LINEUPS

RED SOX

Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Moreland 1B
Nunez 2B
Bradley CF
Vazquez

A's

Semien SS
Chapman 3B
Piscotty RF
Davis DH
Canha 1B
Punder LF
Profar 2B
Laureano CF
Hundley C

WHAT'S UP: After dropping three of four in Seattle for the first series of the season, the Red Sox move to the Bay Area for four more with the Oakland A's...This is the 37th time in franchise history that the Red Sox have begun the season at either 1-3 or 0-4. They did so, in fact, for four straight seasons from 2009-2012...The Sox have had a difficult time in Oakland in recent years, losing 35 of their last 50 games there. Over the last 16 series, the Sox are just 3-12-1...Red Sox relievers have allowed just one run in their last 14 innings while, over the last three games, have held opponents to a .167 batting average (8-for-48)…Mitch Moreland has enjoyed some big games in Oakland of late, with homers in four of his last five games there. He's hit 15 homers in 47 games at the Coliseum, the second most by an opposing player since 2010. Only Mike Trout (16 homers) has hit more in that span...JD. Martinez collected his 1,000th career hit Sunday in Seattle, which happened to be on a homer. He has two in the first four games and leads with the Red Sox with seven RBI, having driven in at least one run in each of the first four games of the season...The franchise record is held by Vern Stephens, who knocked in runs in each of the first seven Sox games in 1950... Rafael Devers has compiled a .421 OBP in the first four games and has hit safely in each one...David Price will make his 300th career appearance in the big leagues tonight and 290th career start. He'll also hit his 10th year of service time in the big leagues this Thursday, becoming the second Red Sox player to accomplish that milestone this week; Rick Porcello notched 10 years in the big leagues over the weekend in Seattle...Among Oakland hitter, Juricskon Profar (3-for-6) and Khris Davis (3-for-9, one HR) have had the most success against Price. Meanwhile, Price has limited Chad Pinder to one hit in six career at-bats...Only three Red Sox hitters have ever faced Brooks before tonight, with Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts each having two previous at-bats and Brock Holt (not part of the starting lineup) one.