Xander Bogaerts becomes the team's career leader in games played at shortstop as Boston opens its 10-game road trip with a win in Oakland
Xander Bogaerts homered and drove in three runs to celebrate becoming the career leader in games played by a Red Sox shortstop, and Boston opened its 10-game road trip with a 7-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.
The A’s fell to 7-21 at home — their worst start at the Coliseum since moving from Kansas City in 1968
Bogaerts played in his 1,094th game at shortstop, surpassing the previous club mark held by Everett Scott. It was also Bogaerts’ 1,081st start at the position, tying Scott’s franchise record.
The three-time All-Star crushed a 2-0 pitch from James Kaprielian to left-center in the fourth inning for his sixth home run of the season.
After the A’s got within 4-2 on Jed Lowrie’s two-run double off Matt Strahm in the eighth, Bogaerts hit a bases-loaded double in the ninth.
Nathan Eovaldi (3-2) had eight strikeouts and pitched four-hit ball over six scoreless innings to win his second straight for Boston.
Trevor Story had a two-run double in the sixth one pitch after thinking he drew ball four, and Alex Verdugo singled and scored twice for the Red Sox.
The A’s, playing in front of their largest crowd (17,852) of the season, fell to 1-7 on their 10-game homestand