Final: Red Sox 5, Athletics 1 - Porcello stellar in 8 two-hit innings, Betts & Moreland homer

WHO: Red Sox (12-17) vs. Oakland A's (14-17)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES: Oakland, 3-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (1-3, 7.43 ERA) vs RHP Aaron Brooks (2-2, 5.33)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
MLB Gameday

LIVE COVERAGE

9:35: Tyler Thornburg in to finish it. ... And he gives up a lead-off bomb to Grossman. RED SOX 5, A'S 1. ... One-out walk.

https://twitter.com/MLBBarrelAlert/status/1123401080753274881

9:25: Liner to right to end the inning. Porcello likely done after 114 pitches and the best Sox start of the season.

9:22: Bogaerts made a sterling play in the hole for the second out and made it look easy.

9:19: Porcello back out there and no one is up in the bullpen.

9:08: Betts has his second hit to lead off the seventh and has raised his average to .298.

9:03: 1-2-3 as Porcello is at 98 pitches.

8:52: 90 pitches, two hits and two walks through a scoreless six innings for Porcello.

8:42: Liam Hendricks in for Brooks. ... Chavis with a poor strikeout with second and third with one out. ... End of threat.

8:34: Red Sox nemesis Ramon Laureano drops a can of corn from Martinez in deep right-center. ... One-out walk to Bogaerts keeps the inning going. Feels like the Sox are going to bust this wide open. ... And, yup, one-out double down the right-field line by Devers. RED SOX 5, A'S 0.

8:31: Porcello allows a two-out double but other than that, another very effective inning from Porcello with the lead.

8:20: After another Chavis single, Moreland breaks out of his funk with a home run to deep center on a 3-1 count. RED SOX 4, A'S 0.

https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1123382841717424131

8:06: Fourth strikeout by Porcello to start the fourth, this time Khris Davis.

8:03: Red Sox go in order in the third.

7:55: Porcello with 48 pitches through three with one hit, two walks and three strikeouts.

7:42: After a one-out walk to Moreland, Bradley grounded to second to move the runners over and the Leon singled in Chavis. RED SOX 2, A'S 0.

7:35: Chavis with a one-out single

7:33: 19 pitches and a walk for Porcello in a scoreless second.

7:18: Betts launches a home run to dead center. RED SOX 1, A'S 0.

https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1123368989097377792

7:14 p.m.: Eight pitches for Porcello in a perfect first.

LINEUPS

Red Sox

Andrew Benintendi, LF
Mookie Betts, RF
J.D. Martinez, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Rafael Devers, 3B
Michael Chavis, 2B
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Sandy Leon, C

Rick Porcello, RHP (1-3, 7.43 ERA)

Athletics

Marcus Semien, SS
Robbie Grossman, LF
Matt Chapman, 3B
Khris Davis, DH
Stephen Piscotty, RF
Kendrys Morales, 1B
Chad Pinder, 2B
Ramon Laureano, CF
Nick Hundley, C

Aaron Brooks, RHP (2-2, 5.33 ERA)

PRE-GAME NOTES

Porcello 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA (5 ER/11.2 IP) in his last 2 starts after owning an 0-3 record and 11.12 ERA (14 ER/11.1 IP) through his first 3 outings of the season. ... Pitched 11.2 innings in his last 2 starts after going just 11.1 innings over his first 3. ... Earned his 1st win of the season in his last start on 4/25 vs. DET...Allowed 3 ER over a season-high 6.0 IP (6 H, 2 BB, 5 SO). ... The Red Sox are 3-2 in their last 5 games and 6-4 in their last 10. ... They began the season 2-8 but have since gone 10-9. ... Sox pitchers have allowed 4 ER or fewer in each of their last 6 games (3.17 ERA; 19 ER/54.0 IP). ...They have allowed 8 or fewer hits in each of their last 5 games, with opponents batting .189 (30-for-159) in that time. ... The Red Sox had 12 hits in last night’s 9-4 win over the A’s...They have won each of their last 5 games when recording 10+ hits, and have won each of their last 7 games when scoring 6+ runs. In 4 of the last 6 games, every member of the Sox’ starting lineup has reached base at least once.