Red Sox 5, A's 4 (11 innings)
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Third baseman Pablo Sandoval led off the top of the 11th inning with a tiebreaking home run off reliever Angel Castro, and the Boston Red Sox held on for a 5-4 victory against the Oakland A's on Monday night at the O.co Coliseum.
After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Sandoval crushed a 94 mph fastball from Castro (0-1), who made his second career major league appearance. The home run was the former San Francisco Giant's fourth of the season and second in two games.
Right-hander Matt Barnes (1-0), Boston's sixth reliever of the game, earned his first major league win, blanking the A's in the 10th and 11th innings on no hits.
The Red Sox won their second consecutive game.
Boston rookie catcher Blake Swihart went 2-for-5 with a double and scored two runs. Center fielder Mookie Betts went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
The A's (12-22) lost their season-high sixth straight game and fell to 0-6 in extra inning games and 1-11 in one-run games.
Oakland designated hitter Billy Butler went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and an RBI. Right fielder Josh Reddick went 2-for-4 with two walks and a run. Catcher Stephen Vogt had a double and two RBIs in four at-bats.
Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello gave up three runs on nine hits over five innings and didn't figure in the decision.
A's left-hander Scott Kazmir allowed just two runs on four hits over six innings but got a no-decision.
The A's led 3-2 through six innings, but that was it for Kazmir, and the Red Sox scored twice in the seventh off right-handed reliever Evan Scribner. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts blooped a one-out single to right, moved to third on Swihart's single and scored on a single by Betts, with Swihart moving to third.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia hit a comebacker to Scribner, who threw to second for what looked to be the start of a double play, but shortstop Marcus Semien couldn't get the ball out of his glove and was upended by a sliding Betts as Swihart scored.
Oakland answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh off left-hander Craig Breslow. Reddick lined a leadoff single, went to Butler's single to center and scored on Vogt's sacrifice fly.
NOTES: RHP Edward Mujica was added to Oakland's 25-man roster Monday, two days after the reliever was acquired from Boston for cash or a player to be named, and he threw a scoreless inning. A's RHP Chris Bassitt was optioned to Triple-A Nashville, opening a roster spot for Mujica. ... Red Sox RF Shane Victorino (right hamstring tightness) was activated from the disabled list and started Monday. He played two rehab games for Double-A Portland. ... Red Sox INF Luis Jimenez was designated for assignment, opening a roster spot for Victorino. Jimenez was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee on May 3 and went hitless in one at-bat with Boston. If he clears waivers, the Red Sox want him to remain in their organization, manager John Farrell said. ... A's LHP Sean Doolittle (strained left shoulder) threw 23 pitches in his second simulated game. Doolittle will pitch next in an actual game, either at extended spring training or for one of the Athletics' minor league affiliates.