When the Red Sox scored twice in the top of the 12th inning, it looked like they were on the verge of one of their most improbable wins of the season.
Instead, the Sox gave those two runs back and one more, handing the Oakland A's a 7-6 win.
Matt Andriese allowed three straight hits to start the inning, then yielded a long fly ball to center by Tony Kemp. Center fielder Kike Hernandez nearly made it two double plays in extra innings in as many nights, but his throw -- in the air -- to the plate arrived a split-second too late as Seth Brown scored the winning run, snapping the Red Sox' eight-game win streak.
WHO: Red Sox (52-31) vs. Oakland A's (48-36)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum
SERIES TO DATE: BOS 1-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 2-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (4-5, 4.96) vs. LHP Cole Irvin (6-7, 3.64)
TV/RADIO: Fox; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
Red Sox
Hernandez 2B
Verdugo DH
Martinez LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Vazquez C
Dalbec 1B
Santana CF
A's
Kemp 2B
Andrus SS
Olson 1B
Chapman 3B
Moreland DH
Laureano CF
Murphy C
Brown RF
Pinder LF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T12: Marwin Gonzalez and Kike Hernandez provide RBI-singles for two runs and the Red Sox are three outs away from what might be their most improbable win of the season.
B10: For the second straight night in the 10th inning, the Red Sox throw out a baserunner at the plate. On Friday night, it was Kike Hernandez. Tonight, it's J.D. Martinez, who throws out Sean Murphy for an inning-ending double play.
T10: What in the wide, wide world of sports was that? Santana thrown out trying to steal third for the second out in the 10th. Second caught stealing in the last two innings for the Sox, who are taking this aggressiveness a little too far in the late innings.
B9: For the second straight night, we're heading to extra innings.
B8: Red Sox bullpen has been almost perfect the last two weeks, but not tonight. Combination of Rios and Darwinzon Hernandez gives up two here in the eighth and it's tied.
B8: A's tee off on Yacksel Rios, with Seth Brown crushing a double to right-center, scoring a run. He represents the tying run in scoring position, with Darwinzon Hernandez.
T7: Kike Hernandez, power hitter. That's his fourth homer in the last seven games as he jumps on a changeup from Irvin and hits it out to left.
B6: Superb play by Xander Bogaerts, who was shifted to the right side of the second base bag, comes back in front of the bag, and throwing across his body, throws out pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie.
B6: Two pitches, two hits and a run for the A's and that's it for Richards, who gives up two and is responsible for a runner at second as Hirokazu Sawamura comes on.
T5: The A's keep making things easier for the Sox with some sloppy defensive play. After Kemp bobbles a grounder by Alex Verudgo that could have been an inning-ending double play, J.D. Martinez drives a run-scoring single to left, delivering Hernandez from second.
T4: Oakland catcher Sean Murphy tries to back-pick at first, but the throw gets by first and travels down the right field line, enabling Xander Bogaerts to score all the way from second while Devers takes third.
B3: Richards looks far more confident -- and comfortable -- now that he's gotten out of that mess in the first. An illustration, perhaps, of how much so much of this is in his head.
B2: Looked like Danny Santana didn't take the best route to that ball in right-center. The ball, hit by Seth Brown, just eluded Santana as he raced to track it down. Turns into a run-scoring triple for Brown.
B2: That's a play that Rafael Devers wouldn't have made a month or so ago. Superb, diving stop to his left, and just as importantly, a strong throw from one knee to throw out Ramon Laureano at first.
B1: Garrett Richards struggling mightily with his command, walking one batter and hitting another. But he gets bailed out on a flair to second, and Elvis Andrus helps out further by getting doubled off at first.
WHAT's UP: The Red Sox lead MLB in wins and own sole possession of the AL’s best record (52-31, .627). The Sox are a season-high 21 games above .500. The Sox have won their last eight games, the AL’s longest active win streak and the club’s second-longest of the season. They won nine in a row in April....During the streak, the Sox have out-scored their opponents, 55-23 (+22).....The Red Sox improved to 5-2 in extra innings last night, including 4-0 on the road...That is MLB’s 5th-best extra-inning record this season.... The Sox lead MLB with 25 outfield assists this season, after leading the majors with 18 in 2020. Sox outfielders are tied for second in MLB with 22 defensive runs saved (Tampa Bay is first with 26 and Miami is second with 22)...The Sox rank second in the AL and fourth in MLB with a 9.2 ultimate zone rating...This is the ninth time the Sox have won at least 52 of their first 83 games, having most recently done so in 1986 and 2018....Under the 10-team playoff format from 2012-2019, all 11 teams who won 52 or more of their first 83 games made the postseason, with eight winning the World Series....The Red Sox lead the AL East by five games, their largest lead of the season....The Sox are 9-13 (.409) vs. AL West teams and 43-18 (.705) against all others. The Sox are 25-17 (.595) vs. teams that entered today with a winning record, MLB’s third--best mark.....The Red Sox are an MLB-best 25-14 (.641) on the road...They have lost their last three series at Oakland Coliseum, going 4-8 in games from 2017-21....The Red Sox lead the majors with 28 come-from-behind wins this season...They are an MLB-leading 25-12 (.676) in games decided by one or two runs. The Sox lead the majors in runs scored with two outs (179)...With RISP & two outs, the Sox lead MLB in AVG (.284) and OPS (.880).....During their eight-game win streak, the Red Sox are batting .314 with a .917 OPS, 14 HR, and 15 doubles...They have scored 55 runs and struck out 50 times. The Red Sox have hit four or more homers an MLB-best eight times this season, including in 3 of their last 6 games.....Since giving up 18 runs to TOR on June 13, the Sox have posted a 3.12 ERA in 17 games....In their last nine games, they have a 2.09 ERA...Sox pitchers have issued only five walks n their last five games. The Sox lead the AL with 1.04 HR allowed per 9.0 IP. Sox starters have thrown five or more innings 64 times, third-most in the majors (43-21 in those games)....:Red Sox relievers rank fourth in the AL and seventh in the majors in ERA at 3.44....Sox relievers have allowed two ER in their last 20.2 IP...In their last nine games, they own a 0.92 ERA with only four extra-base hits allowed......In their last 16 games, Sox relievers have posted a 2.11 ERA....They have stranded their last 16 inherited runners....Xander Bogaerts (27 G) and J.D. Martinez (20 G) have the 2 longest active on-base streaks in MLB...Bogaerts has a .343 AVG and .951 OPS during his streak.....Garrett Richards is 4-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 19 career outings vs. OAK....Owns a career 4.35 ERA at Oakland Coliseum....Richards has allowed four earned runs in each of his last four starts after doing so once over his previous eight starts....Richards has not received the win in his last seven starts, the second-longest winless streak of his career....Mitch Moreland is 9-for-30 lifetime against Richards....Kike Hernandez has three homers in his last six games..
NOTES:
* Bobby Dalbec returned to the Red Sox lineup after missing the last three games with a tight hamstring.
* Christian Arroyo (knee contusion) remains on a rehab assignment with Triple A Worcester, but plans are for him to fly west Sunday night and meet the Red Sox in Anaheim for the second series of the trip. Kevin Plawecki i(hamstring) s running and doing baseball activities.
* Matt Barnes suffered a blown save in the ninth inning Friday night, his fourth of the season and third in his last 11 outings. "We're not concerned,'' said Alex Cora. "Obviously, we've been using him a lot. We're in one of those stretches where we're winning and we're winning close games. That's the nature of the closer, right? If you want to be a closer, you have to be available. We'll take care of him. Today's one of those days we'll try to stay away from him if possible. But he's still attacking the zone. His fastball is still in the zone with good velocity. The breaking ball is still playing the same.'' Cora said on the occasions that Barnes has failed, he's been able to rebound. "His body language doesn't change and the way he attacks hitters doesn't change when stuff like this happens. We're very pleased with the way he's responded. Hopefully, he doesn't have to react too much to those situations. But he understands that that's part of the business. It's going to happen, but he turns the page right away.''
* Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) has progressed with his throwing program. He threw a live BP session earlier this week.