A's Leave Red Sox Frustrated
The A’s might have taken a temporary control on their series against Boston with Tuesday's 5-4 extra-inning escape job in Oakland.
In a weird and sloppy game filled with ejections, hit batters, bad defence and more, the Oakland A’s did just enough to close the deal and emerge victorious.
"It's frustrating because we feel like we had a real good opportunity to win the game," Boston’s outfielder Mike Cameron said. "But the game ain't over until you push more runs across than the other team. It's definitely frustrating to end the game like that."
The Red Sox were looking to make a statement in their opener against the A’s and provide an impressive performance against their foes.
The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead in the second inning and the A's tied it in the third. Neither team scored again until the 10th.
A's third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff dealt Boston its final blow, a two-out single to right field off Michael Bowden that allowed Daric Barton to score from second base.
"It was up in the zone," Michael Bowden said of the final pitch. "He did what he should have done to it."
For Bowden, this was his first test in a pressure situation this season since being called up from the minors on Sunday. "I felt calm, I felt relaxed, I felt like I had the situation under control," Bowden said. "It was just one bad pitch."
Boston veteran Tim Wakefield was also hoping to turn his luck around in a compelling duel against Oakland’s left-hander Dallas Braden. Both have had their share of problems on the mound and were looking to move forward and have a great game.
Oakland could only muster one rally against Wakefield which came in the third-inning and was effective. A's outfielder Coco Crisp started the outburst by hitting a one-out double. Shortly after, Wakefield walked Barton and hit A's catcher Kurt Suzuki with a pitch to load the bases. Jack Cust then delivered a two-run double, allowing Suzuki to score from third. The rally was capped off by Kevin Kouzmanoff who hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
"I wasn't disappointed [in the inning]," Wakefield said. "I made a good pitch to Coco -- he flared it in to right for a double. I made good pitches to Barton -- he ended up walking. [With the count at] 0-2, I threw a really nasty knuckleball that just sailed in and hit Suzuki. That was it."
Oakland's lineup struggled after that as Wakefield and the Red Sox bullpen retired the next 15 A's in order. Wakefield said he felt like he was always in control of the game on the mound.
"I thought his [Wakefield] knuckleball was good tonight," A's second baseman Mark Ellis said. "But I saw him throw a lot more curveballs and fastballs than I've ever seen. It seems like he always pitches pretty good here, anyways. He really mixed it up, and he was throwing the ball well except for that one inning."
It was more of a pressing issue for the Red Sox that Wakefield come out sharp and look more comfortable with every pitch and continue to emerge before our eyes considering the fact that his club has dropped eight contests in their last 12 heading into Oakland Coliseum.
Wakefield got off to an entertaining start but only lasted six innings, allowing three earned runs, three hits and three walks. At 43 years, 352 days, he was looking to become the oldest pitcher to win a game for the Red Sox.
Oakland’s left-hander Braden struggled in his first start back from the disabled list and was relieved of duty in the fifth inning — not the start Braden envisioned, allowing four runs and 10 hits. That keeps him winless in nine starts since throwing a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9.
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