Field Level Media
May 1, 2019
Marcus Walden ran his record to 4-0 with three innings of one-hit relief and the Boston Red Sox rallied to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Oakland Athletics with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
Andrew Benintendi capped a three-run sixth inning with a two-run single, helping the Red Sox break open the game and salvage a 5-4 homestand after losing four of the first six games.
Walden (4-0) took over after starter Hector Velazquez was pulled after two innings in a 1-1 tie.
The rookie, with just eight games of major-league experience last season, threw his sixth consecutive scoreless relief stint, striking out three of the 10 batters he faced. He did not walk a batter.
By the time Walden handed off the ball to Brandon Workman in the sixth, the Red Sox had gone ahead with single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Mitch Moreland produced the fourth-inning run against Oakland starter Mike Fiers (2-3) with his ninth home run of the season.
Fiers lasted five innings, charged with three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out three.
The Red Sox took command against the Oakland bullpen in the sixth. With two outs, Tzu-Wei Lin made it 4-1 with a bases-loaded infield single before Benintendi lined his two-run hit.
Boston tacked on a run in the eighth when Christian Vazquez smacked his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot that made it 7-1.
The A's, who had scored in the second inning on a Ramon Laureano RBI single, finally got to the Boston bullpen when Matt Chapman and Khris Davis hit consecutive doubles leading off the ninth inning.
Oakland got within 7-3 on a third double, this one by Chad Pinder with two outs. Boston's sixth pitcher, Tyler Thornburg, got the final out to complete a combined seven-hit effort.
Lin and Rafael Devers had two hits apiece for the Red Sox, who now embark on a seven-game trip that begins Thursday against the Chicago White Sox.
Chapman, Davis and Pinder each had two hits for Oakland, which lost its sixth straight to open a nine-game trip that continues Friday in Pittsburgh.
--Field Level Media