Forget the fact for a moment that the Boston Red Sox offense broke out it’s shell. Today was all about Tim Wakefield’s domination of the Oakland A’s lineup at a time where the Red Sox really needed a great game out of him.
Wakefield threw a complete-game four-hitter and J.D. Drew added a 3-run homer to help the Red Sox to an 8-2 win over the Oakland A’s to avoid the sweep in front of 35,067 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
With the bullpen being depleted on Tuesday night, the Red Sox needed Wake to give them and innings and that he did. He threw all 9 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.
Brett Anderson started for the A’s and went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Jerry Blevins and Sean Gallagher combined to give up 6 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks.
Mike Lowell had 2 hits for the Red Sox including a 2-run homer while Jason Bay also had 2 hits. Drew was having a rough afternoon at the plate with 3 strikeouts but delivered the big blow with a 3-run afternoon. Jacoby Ellsbury added 2 RBIs and Nick Green had 1.
After Anderson got the first two outs of 2nd, Bay hit a single to left. He came into score when Lowell took an Anderson offering and put it into the seats for a 2-0 Sox lead.
Wakefield cruised through the 5 innings as he didn’t allow a baserunner. That changed in the 6th when Kurt Suzuki reached on a throwing error by Lowell. Wakefield then got the next 3 outs to keep the no-hitter intact.
The Red Sox loaded the bases up in the 7th but were unable to push any runs across when George Kottaras grounded into an inning-ending double play.
They loaded the bases up again in the 8th and this took advantage.
Blevins got the first two outs and then David Ortiz doubled to right. Rather than pitch to Kevin Youkilis, they decided to intentionally walk him. This proved costly as Drew crushed a 3-run homer to put the Sox up 5-0. Blevins then walked Bay and gave way to Gallagher who came in and gave up a single to Lowell. Green followed with a single to score Bay and the Kottaras worked a walk to load up the bases for Ellsbury. He delivered a 2-run single to give the Red Sox an 8-0 lead. Gallagher struck out Dustin Pedroia to end the inning but the damage was done.
Wakefield had a long wait and it may have played a part of things in the bottom half of the inning. He walked Mark Ellis but then got Travis Buck to fly out. Suzuki broke up the no-hitter with a single and then Wake struck out Bobby Crosby. Landon Powell followed that with a single to score Ellis to make it 8-1.
The A’s would add one more on a Jack Cust single and a Matt Holliday double but that was all they would get.
A much needed win for the Red Sox who now head home to face the Baltimore Orioles in a 4-game set that starts on Friday night. Brad Penny will make his Fenway debut and be opposed by Jeremy Guthrie.
