After scoring 27 runs in the first two games of the series, Sunday’s finale was a very different story for the Red Sox indeed. On Sunday, he shut down a Boston lineup that had absolutely pummeled Oakland pitching this year and then got the last laugh on a Red Sox pitcher who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Coming off an injury and an ugly return game, Rodriguez didn’t look to be quite at his best in the first, walking Danny Valencia and occasionally missing the zone by more than you might like.
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Boston Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has not allowed a hit by the Oakland Athletics through seven innings of a scoreless game.
Semien reached on an infield single in the eighth after Rodriguez stuck out his right leg to knock down a grounder. The ball kicked off his foot, and Rodriguez spun around in a circle searching for the ball beneath him before picking it up and firing to first for what originally was called an out.
It was an unorthodox path to victory, after Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez held the A’s hitless into the eighth.
“He was outstanding and unfortunately he gets a ball off his shoe that he can’t seemingly find, and that’s the end of a potentially history-making day here”, Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
In the ninth, Brock Holt misplayed Davis’ double in deep left field for an error that allowed Danny Valencia to score from first base. Kimbrel (2-4) took the loss.
Ryan Dull followed Graveman and pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief and Ryan Madson (5-4), who wound up the victor, pitched a flawless ninth.
Davis and Semien had the only two hits for the A’s, who haven’t been no-hit since July 13, 1991, a stretch of 4.032 games that’s the longest in the majors.
Rick Porcello carried a ideal game into the sixth inning of an 11-2 victory Saturday. Jake Smolinski broke that one up with a double.
Yankees 5, Orioles 2 – At Baltimore: Chase Headley and Austin Romine had two RBIs apiece, and NY beat Baltimore to prevent a three-game sweep and remain afloat in the AL wild-card race. A’s manager Bob Melvin announced the club will call up RHP Raul Alcantara and RHP Jharel Cotton to start games Monday and Wednesday, respectively, in the home series against the Los Angeles Angels. “He’s performing as well as he ever has”. Not to mention, Boston has scored double-digit runs in the previous two games. He said he spent the previous week studying the Red Sox hitters and forming a game plan.
“You’re going to win a whole lot of different ways in a 162-game season”, Semien said. They went 0-11 against Baltimore in 1978, 0-7 versus Cleveland in 1995 and 0-6 when facing the Indians in 1994.
Kendall Graveman delivered the kind of starting effort the A’s badly needed Sunday, but the right-hander also played an indirect role in their walk-off ninth-inning rally.
“You know they’re going to put some good swings on you and today a couple of balls were hit hard right at people, and that helped us”, he said.
Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in his second at-bat.
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His glove came through when it mattered behind Rodriguez: Moncada snagged Billy Butler’s hard liner to start the seventh.
