Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea gets a new ball after surrendering a two run homer to the Boston Red Sox Bobby Dalbec as Hunter Renfroe (left) runs the bases to score ahead of Dalbec at Fenway Park in Boston on Thu May 13, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s (23-16) were going for a sweep of the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (23-16). The A’s pitching kept the potent Boston lineup quiet in the first two games of the series. The Sox scored two runs in the first game and just one run Wednesday night.

Oakland sent out lefty Sean Manaea to handle the pitching chores Thursday night. Manaea was brilliant in his last outing as he held Baltimore to one run and two hits in seven and 1/3rd innings of work. As baseball fans know, left-handed pitchers have to have pinpoint control when pitching in Fenway Park.

Lefties have to keep the ball down and away to prevent the right-handed hitters from pulling the ball and keeping in the park. Manaea was not up to the task as three of the first four Red Sox hitters pounded him for three runs. Manaea was tagged for three more in the second and could not get anyone out in the third. The Red Sox went on to win 8-1.

The Red Sox put three on the board in the first inning. Red Sox second baseman, Michael Chavis, led off with a double. Manaea retired Alex Verdugo for the first out. J.D. Martinez, usually Boston’s DH, was playing in left field. Martinez singled to drive in Chavis with the first run of the game. Xander Bogaerts was the DH. Bogaerts homered to left to put the Sox up 3-0 after one inning.

The Red sox plated three more runs in the second inning. Right-fielder Hunter Renfroe led off with a single. First baseman Bobby Dalbec homered to make it 5-0. The Sox weren’t done. Manaea walked Jonathan Arauz. Manaea retired Chavis and Verdugo. J.D.Martinez singled, sending Arauz to second. Bogaerts doubled to drive in Arauz with Boston’s sixth run. 

The Red Sox sent Manaea to the showers in the top of the third. The first three hitters, Christian Vasquez, Renfroe, and Dalbec, all singled to load the bases. A’s manager Bob Melvin had seen enough. He pulled Manaea from the game and brought in Deolis Guerra to pitch. Guerra got Arauz to hit into a double play. Vasquez scored to put the Sox in the driver’s seat 7-0 after three innings.

The Red Sox scored once in the sixth to lead 8-0. The A’s were able to put one on the board in the top of the eighth. The night belonged to Boston as they won 8-1.

Game Notes and Stats: With the loss, the A’s are now 23-16 for the year. Boston now has the same record as Oakland 23-16.

Sean Manaea’s line was two-plus innings of work. He allowed seven runs and ten hits. Sean’s record for the season is 3-2. The A’s bullpen went six innings and allowed one run. Deolis Guerra worked three innings and did allow a run. The Sox scored a run off Adam Kolarek. Reymin Guduan pitched two scoreless innings for the A’s

Garrett Richards’ line was six innings, five hits, and no runs. Richards won his third game of the year. He has two losses so far this season. Garrett Whitlock went three innings to earn his first save of the year.

The time of the game was two hours and fifty-five minutes. There were about 9300 fans in attendance on a chilly night in Boston.

The A’s are on their way to Minnesota to face the Twins for three games starting Friday night. Frankie Montas will go for Oakland. The Twins will send righty Matt Shoemaker out to handle the pitching chores. The game will start at 5:10 pm.