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Monday, Apr. 17 11:05am ET
Heredia, two relievers shut down Red Sox | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- Gil Heredia stuck with what worked well even as his teammates kept getting thrown out on the bases. Heredia pitched three-hit ball over seven innings and John Jaha had an RBI single as the Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 1-0 Monday despite having four runners thrown out on the bases. "The one key to success pitching here is to understand what kind of plan you have and to follow it," Heredia said. "Obviously, I'm not going to overpower them. You have to come out with a plan and follow it to a 'T'." The Athletics, who had two runners cut down at the plate and a pair between second and third, posted their second win in seven games. Oakland loaded the bases in the first and third innings, but its poor base running spoiled both opportunities. "Usually when you do those things early you get beat," Athletics manager Art Howe said. "We were playing Mission Impossible out there. We self-destructed." Olmedo Saenz went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double for the Athletics, who split the four-game series by winning the annual Patriot's Day game in Boston. Saenz, who scored Oakland's run, actually was diving into third as the ball went under shortstop Nomar Garciaparra's glove and into center. "When he got up I was saying, 'Oh, gosh here's another guy getting thrown out at home'. But he made it," Howe said. "It was ugly, but it counted," Saenz said. "We didn't run the bases the right way, but we got the win. That's all that counts." The Red Sox have been shutout in seven of their last 31 Patriot's Day contests. "We dodged some musket rounds out there, as they say on Patriot's Day," Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said. "(Heredia) changed speeds well. He located the ball." Boston starter Jeff Fassero (1-1) got out of bases-loaded situations in the first and third innings. He allowed one run and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings to get the tough-luck loss. Heredia (1-0), who escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning, walked three and fanned four. He gave up a single to Brian Daubach and a double to Garciaparra in the fourth. The other hit was Jason Varitek's third-inning single. Doug Jones allowed one hit in the eighth and Jason Isringhausen pitched a hitless ninth for his second save. Oakland broke through in the sixth when Saenz led off with a double and scored on Jaha's grounder up the middle. Both teams squandered early chances. The Athletics loaded the bases in the first and third innings without scoring, while Boston did it in the fourth. Oakland opened the game with three singles and a walk, but was held without a run because Ryan Christenson was cut down at the plate by left fielder Darren Lewis, and Jeremy Giambi grounded into an inning-ending double play. In the third, the top three Athletics' hitters singled again, after Eric Chavez struck out. This time, Christenson was picked off second and Jeremy Giambi struck out with the bases loaded. Mike Stanley flied out and Jeff Frye lined out to end a threat after Boston loaded the bases in the fourth. Lewis also threw out Ben Grieve at the plate in the ninth inning. "It was a big win because of the way we played," Jaha said. "If we lose the game, it could have affected us for a while." Game notesGarciaparra was back in the lineup after getting Sunday off. ... The Athletics' Ramon Hernandez is just 2-for-30. ... The first pitch came at 11:07 a.m. ET. ... Jason Giambi pinch hit for Jorge Velandia with a 1-0 count in the ninth, and was intentionally walked. ... Boston finished its first homestand 5-2. ... Daubach went 9-for-21 and Everett finished 10-for-27 in the homestand. ... Jaha was caught between second and third in the sixth. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Oakland Clubhouse Boston Clubhouse RECAPS Oakland 1 Boston 0 AUDIO/VIDEO   A Patriots Day chill had John Jaha thinking low score.wav: 103 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Carl Everett feels the Sox just beat themselves.wav: 139 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6   | |||||