By Morris Phillips
Had the A’s completed their comeback on Sunday and beaten the Boston Red Sox for the fourth straight day it would have ranked as one of the team’s biggest accomplishments in a season-to-date of eye-popping feats.
Instead, the A’s were treated to the latest in David Ortiz’s dossier of big accomplishments, as his solo shot in the 10th inning drove the Red Sox past the A’s, 7-6.
The 448th home run of Ortiz’s career came off a two-strike pitch from Fernando Abad, who has allowed three home runs this week in his role as manager Bob Melvin’s lefty specialist. Ortiz’s blast reversed the tide which saw the A’s tie the game after trailing 6-1 with three runs in the eighth, and two more in the ninth.
“More than anything he stays at rest or at peace mentally in those key spots and doesn’t miss his pitch when he gets it,” Boston manager Dave Farrell said of Ortiz.
The A’s were looking to win their sixth straight, go 20 games above .500 and sweep the Red Sox in a four-game series for the first time since 1971. Against nemesis Jon Lester it didn’t seem possible as the Boston ace kept the A’s bats near silent until they rallied in the eighth. Lester struck out 15 A’s batters in a start earlier this year in Boston and followed that up by holding the A’s to a run through the first seven innings on Sunday.
With two outs in the eighth, Lester hit Craig Gentry with a pitch, saw Gentry steal second and walked Jed Lowrie. Farrell went to his bullpen at that point and Burke Badenhop surrendered consecutive run-scoring singles to Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson and Derek Norris to pull the A’s within 6-4.
In the ninth, the A’s really got serious by denting Red Sox closer Koji Uehara who had converted 42 of 44 save opportunities dating back to last year and was a major piece to Boston’s run to the World Series title. First Stephen Vogt took Uehara deep and with two outs, John Jaso in a pinch-hitting role homered to get the A’s even, 6-6.
“They never quit. That’s as hard as we fought all year,” Melvin said of the A’s comeback. “We never feel like we’re out of a game until the last out.”
But one day after the A’s took over in extra innings, the Red Sox did the same as Ortiz took Abad out as the leadoff batter in the 10th. It was Ortiz’s 17th home run of the season and it came off a 1-2 pitch from Abad.
The A’s have a rare two-days off this week surrounding a two-game series in New York with the Mets. They will then travel on to Miami and Detroit before returning home to face the AL East-leading Blue Jays around the July 4th holiday.
On Tuesday in New York, the A’s will send Scott Kazmir to the mound and he will oppose familiar face Bartolo Colon at 4:05pm.
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