It was Davis who would deliver the game-winning hit off Red Sox All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth, a double that scored Danny Valencia for a 1-0 A’s victory over Boston that salvaged what was shaping up as a miserable weekend for the home team. Sox outfielder Brock Holt couldn’t field the ball cleanly, which allowed Valencia to round third and easily score the game victor.
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Rodriguez, who hasn’t made it past eight innings all season, took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning with two outs. An infield single by Marcus Semien ended the bid and Rodriguez ended with a no-decision. Semien was called out by first base umpire Laz Diaz, but the A’s immediately appealed. Boring entered with two on and one out in the seventh and got Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts to hit fly-ball outs, and Madson pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Red Sox lefty was humming through almost eight no-hit innings of the best start of his young career and then. a little drama.
Boston right-hander Rick Porcello carried a bid for a ideal game into the sixth inning of an 11-2 victory Saturday. Rodriguez would then get Jake Smolinski to ground out to end the frame.
Jon Lester tossed the most recent no-hitter for Boston on May 19, 2008, against Kansas City.
Ryan Madson (5-4), who pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, got the win.
Oakland has not been held without a hit since four Orioles pitchers turned the trick on July 13, 1991 – the longest active streak in the majors.
He went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts and two walks after going 5 for 6 with five RBIs in the first two games of the series.
“You’re going to win a whole lot of different ways in a 162-game season”, Semien said.
Melvin said he thought the key to the game was Graveman getting out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth, the result of a throwing error by Valencia that pulled Semien off second base on a potential force play. “He’s performing as well as he ever has”.
After Boston outscored Oakland 27-4 over the previous two games, neither team could capitalize Sunday until the very end.
The Red Sox had put up at least 11 runs in all five previous meetings this year, including 16 in Friday’s series opener.
It was only the fifth time the Red Sox have been shut out this season, and it was a painful one, considering Rodriguez’s performance. They went 0-11 against Baltimore in 1978, 0-7 versus Cleveland in 1995 and 0-6 when facing the Indians in 1994.
“I definitely wanted to jump (Kimbrel) early because he’d just walked Danny, and I know he was just trying to get ahead, so I didn’t want to miss the first one”, Davis said.
In addition to holding Boston at bay, Graveman was counseling Davis. “So I give him the credit”, Davis said.
It was the only hit Rodriguez allowed in the game. For the next out, Betts hustled down a liner by Billy Butler – another great play behind Rodriguez.
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Athletics: RHP Raul Alcantara will make his major league debut Monday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels.
