Rubber Rewind

The A’s took down the Red Sox 6-4 in the rubber match of a three game set in Oakland. Whenever Boston battles the junior league from the Bay Area, it usually results in a heated and tense contest. This series on the West Coast was no different from series between the rivals over the past few seasons. Adrian Beltre singled in a run, and stole second base in the top of the Boston first frame to give the Red Sox an early edge. It was the only lead the visitors would hold Wednesday night. Oakland’s offense awakened, coming alive to pound out 12 total hits. Boston starter, Clay Buchholz was shelled for his fifth loss, yielding five runs over four plus innings. Fresh off the disabled list, Buchholz was not sharp, exiting the game after failing to record an out in the fifth.
Red-hot Oakland took their third straight series thanks to 31 year old Matt Watson’s first major-league homerun. The journeyman outfielder clubbed a solo shot off the scoreboard in right field, leading the A’s to their seventh win in their last eight tries. Jack Cust followed Watson’s lead by hitting his fourth homerun in seven games. The designated hitter for power-challenged Oakland took Buchholz deep in the bottom of the third and finished 2-for-3. Cust’s two run blast padded the A’s advantage to two runs providing hurler, Gio Gonzalez, a small cushion to work with.
Gonzalez allowed seven hits and four runs in six innings of work. Oakland’s defense turned in a superb performance with more dazzling double plays and diving outfield grabs. The Red Sox made it a one run game, closing in on the home team when Jed Lowrie drove in teammate, Bill Hall for the second Boston tally. The A’s responded in the home half of the fifth with three runs on four hits. Boston reliever, Scott Atchison gave up a one-out single to Mark Ellis to score Kurt Suzuki. Rajai Davis singled to center, notching a pair of RBIs and giving the A’s a 6-2 advantage.
Gonzalez ran into more trouble in the six after allowing a single by Kevin Youkilis and a homerun by Beltre. For Beltre, it was his 16th long ball of the year, putting the Sox within two runs of tying the game. The A’s bullpen was strong with Henry Rodriguez pitching around a pair of seventh inning walks and Brad Ziegler nailing down three outs in the eighth. Oakland’s Coco Crisp smacked a triple in the eighth but was tagged out at the plate trying to score on a fly ball from Cliff Pennington. Crisp’s extra base hit was a positive note for the slumping A’s slugger, who was dropped to ninth in the lineup. Michael Wuertz was perfect in the ninth for his second save of the year.

Parting Points: Sad song of the day- Colbie Caillat’s “I Never Told You”

Cool player for Thursday- the Yankees’ Colin Curtis

RIP Ralph Houk