BOSTON —
Athletics 15, Red Sox 5

The Oakland Athletics didn’t hide their feelings over being able to rebound so nicely after such a miserable loss.

Scott Sizemore and Josh Willingham each hit two-run homers during a six-run fourth inning that carried the Oakland Athletics to a 15-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday, one day after they lost 22-9 at Yankee Stadium and allowed a major league-record three grand slams.

“It’s a huge lift,” winning pitcher Gio Gonzalez said. “It’s stopping the bleeding right away and not letting it spiral out of control.”

Like Thursday in New York, the Athletics opened a big lead early. The difference was they kept scoring and held the hot hitting Red Sox down.

“I think it’s good,” said second baseman Jemile Weeks, who had three hits and scored three runs, of the team’s rebound. “I think we came out and set a tone. We started out great in New York and they pounded us in that game.”

The win denied Tim Wakefield’s bid for his 200th career victory. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz hit consecutive homers for Boston, which opened a nine-game homestand after going 6-2 on a recent trip through Texas and Kansas City.

Wakefield (6-6), trying for the sixth time to become the 108th pitcher to reach 200 wins, gave up eight runs — four earned — on eight hits, walking two and striking out three. He’s 0-3 with a 4.97 ERA during the six games.

“Not a real good night (for Wakefield). Kind of an inconsistent knuckleball tonight — some he threw so well and had sharp break and then some were up,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “Then it looked like we get the third out and the ball gets by (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) because it is moving and they tack on four more, so just kind of a rough night all the way around.”

Cliff Pennington also had three hits, and Willingham drove in four runs for the Athletics, who won for the seventh time in nine road games after losing 30 of their previous 37 away from home.

“We just tried to move on (from Thursday),” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said, downplaying it a bit more than his players. “We really just tried to move on.”

Gonzalez (11-11) gave up four runs, seven hits, striking out five and walking three in 5 2-3 innings for his second straight win after losing five in a row. He picked up just his third road win in 10 decisions.

Leading 2-1 in the fourth, the Athletics scored six runs off Wakefield — four coming after Saltalamacchia’s passed ball on Weeks’ strikeout with two outs. “I think that’s my biggest disappointment, knowing that we had a doubleheader tomorrow and I was only able to go four innings,” Wakefield said.

Sizemore started the scoring with a home run into the last row of Green Monster seats in left, making it 4-1. After Weeks fanned but reached first, Coco Crisp walked before Hideki Matsui doubled both home with a drive off the center-field wall. Willingham then homered into the Monster seats, his 23rd, making it 8-1.

Boston outfielder Darnell McDonald pitched the ninth, allowing Willingham’s two-run double after walking the first two batters.

For a while it looked as though it could be similar to Thursday afternoon in New York when Oakland opened a 7-1 lead before its pitching staff was pounded.

Boston answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on consecutive homers by Pedroia and Ortiz. Pedroia’s was his 17th, tying his career high set in 2008 when he won the AL’s MVP award. Jacoby Ellsbury tripled and scored in the fifth.

The Red Sox had runners on first and second with one out in the sixth, but Gonzalez got McDonald to pop to second. Brian Fuentes relieved and Ellsbury fouled weakly to third. Boston stranded two more in the seventh.

Oakland ended any likelihood of a comeback by scoring four in the eighth against Matt Albers, opening a 13-4 lead.

Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI single before Oakland took the lead with two in the second, coming on RBI singles by David DeJesus and Pennington.

NOTES: Red Sox LF Carl Crawford didn’t play, getting a night off to rest before playing both ends of Saturday’s doubleheader. “He was cramping up a little bit (Thursday),” said Francona, who hoped to rest some other players but also knew the club has both Sunday and Monday off after Sunday’s afternoon game was moved to Saturday night because of the expected severe weather from Hurricane Irene. … Francona said RF J.D. Drew, on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, was scheduled to DH for the Class-A Lowell Spinners on Friday night and he’s also scheduled — along with Kevin Youkilis, on the DL with a strained lower back — to get some at-bats with Triple-A Pawtucket Tuesday or Wednesday. … Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks (back) is scheduled to pitch an inning at Class A Salem on Saturday and the hope is he can get in some work at Pawtucket before he returns from his third stint on the DL. … Boston is planning to go with Jon Lester (13-6) in the opener on Saturday against Guillermo Moscoso (6-7), scheduled for a noon start. Erik Bedard (4-9) is slated to face Graham Godfrey (1-1) in the nightcap that’s planned for 5 p.m. Godfrey will be recalled from Triple-A Sacramento before the game. He made four starts with the A’s earlier this season. … Oakland recalled left-handers Josh Outman and Jerry Blevins from Sacramento before the game, sending Jordan Norberto and Bruce Billings to the Triple-A club.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

BOSTON, MA – AUGUST 26: Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox signs autograph before a game against the Oakland…

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Game Information

Research Notes

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox don’t understand why they’ve been able to dominate CC Sabathia.

They just want it to continue.

Jacoby Ellsbury had a three-run homer with a career-high six RBIs, and Carl Crawford had four hits to lead Boston to a 10-4 victory over the Yankees ace on Saturday, snapping New York’s eight-game winning streak and leaving the teams tied for first — again — in the AL East.

“To get wins against guys like that, you try not to think about it too much,” said Crawford, who has hit safely in six consecutive plate appearances. “You try to just take it.”

One day after losing the series opener to fall into second place for the first time in almost a month, the Red Sox improved to 69-43 — the same

as the Yankees. Boston is 9-2 against New York this season, clinching at least a tie for the season series, and nowhere has the dominance been more complete than when Sabathia (16-6) pitches.

The big left-hander, who leads the majors in wins, fell to 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA against Boston this year. He is 16-2 with a 2.11 ERA against everyone else.

“Believe me, it’s not like we go, ‘We’re going to lunch up on him,”‘ Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “He’s really good. He’s had his way with a lot of teams, and we give him a good battle. I’m sure we’ll see him a bunch more times.”

Sabathia allowed seven runs in six innings Saturday, giving up nine hits and a walk and striking out six. It’s the first time in 11 starts that he

didn’t last at least seven innings.

“It’s a good ballclub. They have a good lineup. Like today, they wear on you,” Sabathia said. “I’ve faced all of those guys a lot. When I’m right, I can beat anybody.”

John Lackey (10-8) scattered six hits over six innings for the Red Sox, allowing three runs — he also walked two and hit two batters — while striking out five to win his fifth consecutive decision.

It was 2-2 when Kevin Youkilis doubled to lead off the fourth and, after David Ortiz struck out, Mike Aviles singled home one run. Crawford singled and, one out later, Marco Scutaro singled in another run before Ellsbury hit a high fly that landed in the first row of the right-field seats next to the 380-foot marker.

The Yankees cut it to 7-4 on Mark Teixeira’s solo homer off Daniel Bard in the eighth.

But Boston loaded the bases against Hector Noesi in the bottom half before Ellsbury hit a two-run single and Dustin Pedroia added a sacrifice fly to make it 10-4. Noesi finally got out of the inning when he took Adrian Gonzalez’s line drive off his right shoulder; the ball ricocheted toward first base, and Teixeira picked it up and tagged the base for the out.

Francisco Cervelli had three hits for the Yankees, including a leadoff double against Dan Wheeler in the ninth. With two on, Teixeira lined the ball down the right-field line, just foul of the Pesky Pole.

He flied out to center to end the game.

Play was delayed briefly when a beer vendor’s tray fell over the wall near the Yankees dugout, scattering cans on the dirt. The spill was featured on the national television broadcast, and a FOX TV producer told Red Sox officials the network would pay for the load so the vendor wouldn’t be out the money; Red Sox spokeswoman Pam Ganley said the vendor would not have to pay for the spilled beer.

Francona got a chuckle out of it.

“I’m just glad Bogie (third base coach Tim Bogar) didn’t grab one and start drinking it,” he said.

Notes: Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez took batting practice in Florida, continuing his recovery from right knee surgery. The Yankees expect him to rejoin the team in mid-August. … Aviles, who came to the Red Sox from Kansas City at the trade deadline, made his first pro appearance in the outfield. … Curtis Granderson scored his major league-leading 100th run in the fourth. … For the series finale on Sunday, Freddy Garcia will face Josh Beckett. Garcia has won three straight starts, but on the year he is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts against Boston. “They’ve hit him pretty good,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Freddy’s been pretty consistent. Those are his starts that weren’t.” Beckett is 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA against the Yankees this year.

CHICAGO — Jon Lester pitched eight strong innings Saturday night and the Boston Red Sox got homers from Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis and three RBIs from Marco Scutaro in a 10-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

It was Boston’s first win in its last eight games against the White Sox.

Lester (11-4), in his second start since coming off the disabled list (strained latissimus), allowed two runs and four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts to get his first victory since June 30. He lost the shutout in the seventh when Paul Konerko hit his 25th homer and also gave up a solo shot to Gordon Beckham in the eighth.

Boston put it away with five runs in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox finished with 15 hits.

Gonzalez hit his 18th homer in the ninth, a two-run shot off reliever Brian Bruney, and now has 89 RBIs this season. Youkilis then followed with his 15th homer to push the lead to six. Jarrod Saltalamacchia added an RBI double and Scutaro a run-scoring single.

Boston broke a scoreless tie in the fifth with four runs against Phil Humber (8-7) as Carl Crawford singled, stole second and reached third on catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s throwing error. Saltalamacchia hit an RBI double, moved to third on a bunt single by Josh Reddick and scored on Scutaro’s sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a single and stole second, putting runners at second and third before Dustin Pedroia hit another sacrifice fly for a three-run cushion. After Gonzalez was walked intentionally, Youkilis hit a broken-bat liner that went off third baseman Brent Morel’s glove for an RBI single that ended Humber’s night.

Scutaro added an RBI single to right center in the eighth as Reddick scored all the way from first when Beckham couldn’t handle a late throw from center fielder Alex Rios.

Humber, who was Chicago’s most consistent starter in the first half of the season, hadn’t pitched since July 17. He’d been assigned temporarily to the bullpen after a rainout forced the White Sox to rearrange their rotation and to give him some rest. He didn’t see any work as a reliever, and now has lost his last three starts, giving up 24 hits and 14 earned runs in 14 innings.

Humber surrendered six hits and the four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

NOTES: White Sox general manager Ken Williams said it’s unlikely the team will be making any more trades before today’s deadline. … The Red Sox announced they had signed catcher Jordan Weems, a third-round draft pick this year, and also third baseman Nick Moore, who was selected in the 30th round. … Konerko’s homer was the 390th of his career. It ties him with Graig Nettles for 53rd place on the all-time list. … Mike Aviles, acquired earlier in the day from Kansas City, played third for the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. … Frasor earlier made his White Sox debut by pitching two-thirds of an inning.

Sox acquire Aviles

CHICAGO — The Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Mike Aviles from the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, giving up infielder Yamaico Navarro and minor-league pitcher Kendal Volz in the trade.

Aviles was batting .222 with five home runs and 31 RBIs in 53 games with the Royals. He’s expected to fill a utility infielder’s role with the Red Sox. Aviles spent part of the season at Triple-A Omaha and had been unhappy with his lack of playing time since being recalled July 20.

He’ll give the Red Sox some insurance until Jed Lowrie comes off the disabled list. Lowrie, sidelined by a sore shoulder, will begin a rehab assignment Monday.

“A guy I think our organization has kinda liked from afar for a while,” Boston manager Terry Francona said of Aviles.

“He’s that guy who can really hit left-handers, actually both, but the ability to play short, second, third. … He can run, hit the ball out of the ballpark. How we would use him, I don’t know. Some of this is probably going to depend on Jed because Jed isn’t too far away,” Francona added. “But he seems excited to be here and we’re happy to have him. At some point, I think we’d like to get him to the outfield because I think we think he can do it. He hasn’t done that yet, but we’ll see.”

Navarro was hitting .216 in 16 games with the Red Sox.

Report: Sox get Harden

CHICAGO — The Red Sox may have found their pitcher.

With the trade deadline looming at 4 p.m. today, the Sox reportedly acquired Rich Harden from the Oakland Athletics in a deal involving first baseman Lars Anderson, according to a report on NESN Saturday night. The trade is pending a physical. Anderson was removed from Saturday night’s game at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Harden, 29, is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA in five starts for the Athletics since coming off the disabled list. In his last three starts, he has been sharp, allowing seven runs on 12 hits and striking out 22 in 18 1/3 innings against the Angels, Yankees and Rays.

Injuries have long been an issue for Harden, who has made 25 or more starts in a season only twice since 2005. But he worked with Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young in Oakland, and the club likely feels confident that he can stay healthy for the season’s final two months.

— Boston Herald

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