Tanner Houck continued Boston’s strong starting pitching, Trevor Story capped a five-run third inning with a two-run double and the visiting Red Sox scored early and often en route to a 9-0 shellacking of the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.
Jarren Duran collected three hits and scored twice, Masataka Yoshida and Enmanuel Valdez score two runs apiece and Ceddanne Rafaela joined Story with two RBIs for the Red Sox, who won their second straight game.
JJ Bleday had a double and a single for the A’s, who hurt their own cause by committing five errors, all in the first three innings.
Triston Casas had an RBI single in the first inning. A throwing error by A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler turned a sacrifice fly by Rafaela into a two-run blow in the second before the visitors broke the game open in the third.
Valdez delivered the big inning’s first run with an infield single on which Oakland first baseman Ryan Noda’s errant throw allowed Tyler O’Neill to score.
Rafaela added a second sacrifice fly for a 5-0 edge, after which Duran singled home the inning’s third run and Story smacked his two-run double.
A’s starter Joe Boyle (0-1) was pulled after Story’s hit, charged with eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four.
Staked to a lead before throwing his first pitch, Houck (1-0) coasted through six innings, allowing just three hits. He struck out 10 without issuing a walk.
Houck’s effort completed a first time through the rotation for the Red Sox in which the five starters combined to allow just four earned runs in 28 innings. Boston owns the majors’ best rotation ERA (1.29) and best ERA overall (1.42).
Chase Anderson completed the shutout with three one-hit innings, striking out three, and was credited with his first save of the season.
The lone run of the final six innings came in the sixth, when Yoshida’s infield out scored Story, who had walked.
Casas finished with a single and a double for the Red Sox in the homer-less affair. Boston out-hit the hosts 9-4.
A’s left-hander Kyle Muller pitched well in relief, limiting the Red Sox to one hit and one run over 5 1/3 innings. He fanned six and walked two.
–Field Level Media