Ortiz Has Two Doubles, Three RBIs As Sox Beat A's
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Rick Porcello pitched seven strong innings for his major league-leading 19th victory and David Ortiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland A's 11-2 on Saturday night at Oakland Coliseum.
The Red Sox (76-59) moved into a tie for first place in the American League East with Toronto, which lost 7-5 to Tampa Bay.
Porcello (19-3) allowed two runs and four hits, struck out two and walked none. He had a perfect game until Jake Smolinski lined a double to left with one out in the sixth inning.
Porcello became the first Red Sox pitcher in team history to win at least 19 of his first 22 decisions.
The Red Sox beat the A's for the fifth straight time and can sweep the season series with a victory on Sunday afternoon. Boston has outscored Oakland 67-19 in the first five games, scoring in double figures each time.
One night after pounding out 17 hits in a 16-2 victory, the Red Sox had 17 more hits.
Red Sox rookie third baseman Yoan Moncada made his first career major league start and had his first two big league hits and first RBI. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI double in the third. He also scored his second and third runs since being called up Friday from Double-A Portland.
Hanley Ramirez hit his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot in the third for the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two hits. Mookie Betts doubled and had two RBIs, giving him 100 for the season to go with 30 home runs.
A's rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden (1-6), who was called up from Triple-A Nashville, allowed seven runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Boston grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Pedroia hit a leadoff single and moved to third on Ortiz's double before both came home on Betts' ringing double off the left-field fence.
The Red Sox scored seven times in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate to increase their lead to 9-0.
Mengden retired the first two batters he faced in the third, but the next seven members of the Red Sox reached base. Ramirez lined a home run into the left field seats, making it 3-0.
Leon doubled, Chris Young walked and Moncada sliced a double down the left field line. Moncada drove in Leon, and Young rounded third and scored after left fielder Khris Davis booted the ball for an error.
Bradley brought Moncada home with a single, making it 6-0 and ending Mengden's night. Pedroia greeted John Axford with a single, and Bogaerts lined an RBI single to right. Ortiz followed with a two-run double off the center field fence, making it 9-0.
NOTES: Red Sox RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder inflammation) will miss his scheduled start Tuesday against San Diego and RHP Clay Buchholz will likely get the nod, manager John Farrell said. Wright will get a second opinion from a doctor. ... Red Sox RHP Koji Uehara (right pectoral strain) threw 25 pitches to hitters during batting practice and might be activated from the disabled list during Boston's three-game series against San Diego, which begins Monday. "I feel 100 percent," said Uehara, who had 72 saves over the previous three seasons. ... Red Sox RHP Brad Ziegler (flu), who missed the previous six games, was available to pitch on Saturday. ... A's RHP Sonny Gray (strained right forearm) threw from 105 feet as he continued his rehabilitation. Gray has been on the disabled list since Aug. 7, and manager Bob Melvin said he doesn't know whether the hurler will appear in another game this season. "I think until we get him on a mound, it's still kind of uncertain," Melvin said. ... It was Jose Canseco bobblehead night at the Coliseum, and the former A's slugger threw out the ceremonial first pitch. "It's pretty good, pretty accurate," Canseco said of his bobblehead. "It looks like the pre-steroid era bobblehead, though, because it's got me kind of skinny."