Red Sox 9, Athletics 3 (1st)
Jason Varitek drove in three runs and Jon Lester pitched six strong innings as the Boston Red Sox blew away the Oakland Athletics 9-3 in the first game of a rain-plagued doubleheader at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon.
The game was delayed twice by rain for a total of more than three hours. Lester (14-6) allowed three hits and two runs – one earned – to win his third straight start. He fanned four and struck out two.
Varitek cracked a two-run homer in the second inning to give Boston a 3-1 lead. He finished with two hits. Mike Aviles had three hits for Boston and David Ortiz had two doubles and two RBIs.
Oakland’s Guillermo Moscoso (6-8) was lit up for eight runs and nine hits in four innings to take the loss. Brandon Allen homered for the A’s.
The second game of the doubleheader was switched from Sunday to Saturday due to Hurricane Irene. It was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. but the first game didn’t end until after 6 p.m.
The Red Sox began the day a game ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Yankees had their doubleheader against Baltimore postponed by the hurricane.