Final: Red Sox 7, A's 3

The Red Sox completed their second sweep of the season with a 7-3 victory over the Oakland A's, 6-1.

Mitch Moreland and Andrew Benintendi each knocked in two runs. Moreland and Christian Vazquez contributed solo homers.

Boston only got two innings from spot starter Hector Velazquez, but five other relievers combined for six shutout frames before Tyler Thornburg allowed two in the ninth as the Sox won for the 8th time in 12 games.

WHO: Red Sox vs. Oakland A's
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 2-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 3, A's 3.
STARTING PITCHERS: Hector Velazquez (0-2, 3.86) vs. RHP Mike Fiers (2-2, 7.03)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

3:02   Red Sox make a little out of a lot in the sixth. They've hit one ball hard all inning - a leadoff single by Devers -- but have themselves three runs on two walks, a sacrifice fly, an infield single and a blooper that fell in between three fielders in left field.

2:33   Odd choice -- Benintendi drops down a sac bunt after a leadoff double by Lin. Top of the order due up and no out.

2:28  Walden has been superb, retiring nine of 10 he's faced including the last seven in a row. He's also been very efficient, with 31 pitches over three innings.

2:19  Second homer in as many games for Moreland. A's had attacked him by going low-and-away for much of the at-bat, but on an 0--and-2 count, Fiers left a sinker up in the middle of the zone and Moreland swatted it into the Monster Seats.

1:53 That's all from Velazquez, who givers them just two innings, largely becaue of pitch count (43 pitches). Walden on.

1:52 Sox fail to capitalize. Had runners at the corners and no out and managed just one run.

1:46 Tough break for Sox as Chavis tries to score on a wild pitch, but the ball hits the padding behind home plate and bounces right back to Phegley, who applies the tag.

1:32 Velazquez had Laureano 1-and-2 and was a strike away from getting out of the inning, but left a sinker up and over the plate which Laureano steered into right field for a run-scoring single.

LINEUPS



RED SOX

Benintendi LF
Betts RF
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Chavis 2B
Moreland 1B
Vazquez C
Bradley CF
Lin 2B

A's

Semien SS
Grossman LF
Chapman 3B
Davis DH
Piscotty RF
Morales 1B
Pinder 2B
Laureano CF
Phegley C

WHAT'S UP: The Sox have won seven of their last 11 as they wrap up a homestand...Red Sox starters have a 3.27 ERA in their last 17 games. That's the second-best ERA in the league in that span...In that 17 game stretch, they've allowed three earned runs or fewer in 15 of those and four or fewer in all of them...Mookie Betts has reached base in 11 straight games, during which he's posted a .540 OBP. He's 6-for-11 in his last three games....He's reached base multiple time in 10 of his last 11 games, including each of his last seven....He scored his 500th run Tuesday night in his 674th games...Among Red Sox players in history who've reached that milestone, only three have done it in fewer games: Ted Williams, Nomar Garciaparra and Johnny Pesky...Mitch Moreland leads the Sox in homers (eight) and 17 RBI...Thirteen of 19 hits have gone for extra bases...Rafael Devers has reached in 14 straight games...Devers has a .385 on-base percentage...Michael Chavis has reached base in six of his last games, including each of his last four...Tzu-Wei Lin, starting at shortstop, comes into the game 0-for-6...The Red Sox are trying to break a two-year losing streak in their season series with the A's. The teams are 3-3 heading into this afternoon. Oakland won it 4-3 in 2017 and 4-2 last season...Over the last five games, Red Sox relievers have posted a 0.68 ERA and held opponents to an .093 batting average...Coming into today, J.D. Martinez, who was without a hit Tuesday night, hasn't gone hitless in back-to-back games since last July...Hector Velazquez is making his fourth start this season. He's 0-2 with a 3.86 in his previous three...Khris Davis is 2-for-4 with a homer against him while Marcus Semien is 2-for-3...Kendrys Morales, meanwhile, is just 1-for-5....Martinez is 8-for-17 with two solo homers against Fiers while Andrew Benitnendi is 3-for-8...Jackie Bradley Jr. is just 2-for-12 in his career against Fiers.