Red Sox rebound from blowout loss
BOSTON -- For the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday afternoon and evening were a lot better than Tuesday night.
And we're not talking only about the weather.
"After last night's game, when things got away from us, to put that behind us and come out and execute today like we did, very good series win," manager John Farrell said after his team rebounded from a 13-0 drubbing in the Tuesday wind and rain and came from three runs down to beat Oakland 6-5 on Wednesday.
The victory, only the second in the last 11 games against Oakland, gave the first-place Red Sox (14-7) a 2-1 series win, with new American League member Houston coming in for four games.
Jon Lester (4-0) limped through 5 2/3 innings -- walking five, one more than he had walked over his first four starts -- but stayed undefeated. The Boston bullpen hung onto the lead, handing the A's (13-9) their fifth loss in the last six games.
Stephen Drew, hitting .114 coming in, struck out three times, but he tripled home two runs in a three-run fourth, and six straight batters reached in a three-run fifth as the Sox built a 6-3 lead.
Chris Young hit two homers (Nos. 3 and 4) for Oakland: a three-run shot in the fourth off Lester and solo job in the eighth of Koji Uehara. Former Athletic Andrew Bailey struck out the side in the ninth for his fifth save, second of the series.
"It's just nice to be back out there and getting wins," said Bailey, who missed much of last season with a hand injury and has assumed the closer role while Joel Hanrahan is out. "We're off to a great start and the team's playing well; that's really all that matters."
Jed Lowrie had three hits for the A's, who had 13 runs on 13 hits Tuesday night. Lowrie felt he was denied a fourth hit before he struck out in the ninth; his two-out shot down the right-field line was called foul, but he thought he saw chalk kick up. "Game-changing call," he said.
David Ortiz, in his fourth game back from the disabled list, went 2-for-4 and drove in a run and is 8-for-16 with three RBI. He also again ran the bases hard.
"Not trying to do too much and trying to take just whatever they give me," Ortiz said. "I'm not really concerned about getting injured again, but there's still some concern because I'm not 100 percent yet."
Oakland's Brett Anderson continued his early-season struggles, allowing all six runs in four-plus innings. He fell to 1-4 with a 7.23 ERA.
"I've just got to go out there and maybe help a grandma cross a street or burn my locker or something like that, and get some better mojo going, because I'm a better pitcher than that," he said.
Anderson, 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA against Boston coming in, had a 3-0 lead on Young's first homer, but he gave it right back and was gone in the fifth.
With one out in the fourth, back-to-back doubles by Ortiz and Mike Napoli (26th RBI) got Boston started. Drew's triple tied it.
Anderson didn't get an out in the fifth, when Jacoby Ellsbury singled and stole second (tying his club record with his 10th April steal) and scored on Shane Victorino's double. Dustin Pedroia reached on a hit off the glove of third baseman Donaldson that moved Ellsbury to third, and Ortiz singled him home.
NOTES: Victorino left in the seventh after apparently suffering more back trouble. He didn't play in Sunday's doubleheader. Farrell said the back wasn't as tight Wednesday as it was over the weekend. ... Boston optioned volatile RH Alfredo Aceves, who had a dreadful outing Tuesday, to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... The Red Sox have been in first place all 24 days of the season, one shy of the club record for being in first from the start, the record set in 1918. ... Home plate umpire Jerry Layne left the game in the fourth inning with what appeared to be a hand injury. Mike Estabrook moved from second base to behind the plate and three umps finished. ... RHP Daniel Bard, who has been struggling to get his stuff back, was recalled from Double-A Portland. The former eighth-inning man will be used earlier in games. RHP Steven Wright, who made his major league debut Tuesday, was sent out to make room for Bard. ... Hanrahan (hamstring) will make a rehab appearance for Pawtucket on Friday night. ... RHP John Lackey (biceps) will throw Thursday and start Sunday if all is well. If not, prospect Allen Webster could get another call.
