Boston Red Sox vs Oakland Athletics Match Player Stats On Jul 02, 2021

Center fielder Enrique Hernandez hit a go-ahead single in the top of the 10th, then threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the host Oakland Athletics 3-2 on Friday.

The Red Sox, who blew a lead in the ninth, rallied to take the opener of a three-game series. It was Boston's eighth consecutive victory. Oakland fell for the fifth time in seven games.

After the A's got solo home runs from Jed Lowrie in the seventh and Elvis Andrus in the ninth to pull even at 2-2, Hernandez wasted no time giving the Red Sox a new lead. He blooped Lou Trivino's first pitch of the 10th into right-center field, scoring Michael Chavis, who had started the inning at second base.

Trivino (3-3) held the Red Sox to one run, and the A's appeared on the verge of drawing even again when, with runners at first and third and no one out in the last of the 10th, Sean Murphy lifted a flyball to shallow center field.

Seth Brown, who had started the inning at second and advanced one to third on a single by Lowrie, elected to test Hernandez's arm, but he was gunned down on a close play at the plate.

Adam Ottavino then got Frank Schwindel to fly out to nail down his sixth save.

Boston closer Matt Barnes (4-2), who gave up Andrus' first homer of the season leading off the last of the ninth, was credited with the win.

Early on, Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez outdueled Frankie Montas, pitching one-hit ball before leaving with a 2-0 lead after six innings. Rodriguez struck out six and walked two.

Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo drove in the first two runs for the Red Sox.

Lowrie's homer, his eighth of the year, finally got the A's on the scoreboard in the seventh. It came off Garrett Whitlock.

Montas was pulled after 5 2/3 innings, charged with two runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out three.

Devers had two hits for the Red Sox, who have won each of their past three extra-inning games. Lowrie had two of Oakland's four hits in the Athletics' third straight defeat when playing beyond regulation.

--Field Level Media