With Blackburn scratched, Oakland A’s get roughed up in 10-3 loss at Red Sox
A's starting pitcher Paul Blackburn was scratched about 90 minutes before first pitch because of an illness.
By KEN POWTAK
BOSTON — The A’s already have the highest ERA in the majors. Losing a starter 90 minutes before first pitch won’t help a pitching staff, either.
Saturday’s scheduled starter Paul Blackburn was scratched with an illness, emergency starter Austin Pruitt gave up four runs in 1 2/3 innings as the A’s lost a second straight in Boston, this time 10-3 to the Red Sox.
Manny Piña and Brent Rooker each hit a solo homer for Oakland, which has the major league’s worst record. At 25-66, the Athletics are on pace to finish 45-117.
The loss also dropped their run-differential to a season-low minus-247 (326 runs scored, 573 runs allowed), and their current pace would have them finish at minus-440, which would shatter the 1932 Red Sox’s previous low of minus-349 for the worst in the modern era (1900-present).
Piña’s homer came in the third to get the A’s on the board, and Rooker hit his in the sixth.
“He made some good pitches that I was able to foul off and keep giving myself chances to wait for a mistake,” Rooker said of his 11-pitch at-bat in a quiet Athletics’ clubhouse. “It was a pretty good pitch he threw, but I was able to put a pretty good swing on it to get it over the wall.”
Oakland’s pitching staff entered the day with a 6.02 ERA and allowed at least a run in each of the first sixth innings: three in the first, two in the second and fifth and one in the third, fourth and sixth.
For the Red Sox, Jarren Duran led the way with a three-hit, three-run and three-RBI day, including a two-run homer. Masataka Yoshida had his sixth consecutive multi-hit game, matching MLB’s longest this season. Christian Arroyo also tallied three hits and Alex Verdugo added a two-run homer of his own.
In total, the Red Sox reached 10 hits for a season-high seventh straight game, picking up 12 of their 15 in the initial five innings. It’s Boston’s longest double-digit hit streak since late-July through early August 2019.
A day after coming off the paternity list following the birth of his and wife Katie’s second child earlier this week, Boston starter James Paxton (5-1) gave up two solo homers in six innings.
“Obviously, a different week (for him), probably not getting too much rest,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “He’s a good one — good fastball, good command of his pitches. He understands what he needs to do. … We needed six today and he did an amazing job.”
Brandon Walter pitched the final three innings for his first major league save.
“It’s been a crazy week,” Paxton said. “Just in the hospital, my wife gave birth. I have a little daughter now. Our second, it was a great experience.”
The Athletics had a couple of plays that could up on their film of season lowlights.
Second baseman Jordan Diaz ranged into shallow right and looked at right fielder Cody Thomas before Triston Casas’ pop dropped between them for a double.
On the other, Ryan Noda was halfway home on JJ Bleday’s single to right before turning and trying to scamper back to third where he was tagged out diving into the bag. Bleday would get an RBI later in the game, knocking in Noda with a single in the eighth for the game’s final run.
The A’s will send left-hander JP Sears (1-6, 4.09 ERA) out to try and avoid getting swept in Boston on Sunday before the All-Star break. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter yet.