Red Sox 4, A's 2
BOSTON -- The Oakland Athletics and pitcher Pat Venditte made much of the news, a fan suffered life-threatening injuries when hit by a broken bat and the Boston Red Sox won the game on Friday night at Fenway Park.
Venditte, who throws with either hand, came on in the seventh inning of Boston's 4-2 victory that ended Oakland's four-game winning streak, becoming the first pitcher to throw with both hands in a game since Greg Harris did it for the Montreal Expos in 1995.
Early in the game, a woman seated in the box seats was hit in the head by the broken part of Oakland third baseman Brett Lawrie's bat and was removed to a local hospital. Boston police later confirmed that she was was seriously injured.
Venditte, 29, worked two scoreless innings. He pitched left-handed to get third baseman Brock Holt to ground out and then switched to right-handed for the remaining five hitters, the last being switch-hitting catcher Blake Swihart, who batted lefty and struck out.
Venditte, who wears a specially designed six-finger baseball glove that can switch hand to hand, allowed one hit. Several baseballs were tossed out of play in his first inning, apparently to commemorate the occasion.
Boston left-hander Wade Miley (5-5) worked 7 1/3 strong innings to help the Red Sox snap a two-game losing streak. Junichi Tawaza finished the eighth and Koji Uehara, who lost in his last two appearances, pitched an eventful ninth for his 12th save.
He gave up a two-out double high off the wall in left to catcher Josh Phegley to put runners on second and third with two outs, but first baseman Mark Canha, who had an earlier RBI single, hit a soft liner that was run down in left center by left fielder Alejandro De Aza.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia had three of the nine hits against loser Scott Kazmir (2-4), who is winless in nine starts, in the first five innings. Pedroia is 22-for-43 lifetime against Kazmir.
Holt had two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base for the Red Sox (25-31), who also got two hits from right fielder Rusney Castillo.
Lawrie, who had three hits after grounding out as part of his bat flew into the stands, homered for the A's (23-34) in the seventh inning.
The A's, the worst-fielding team in baseball, committed three errors in the first four innings.
The Red Sox scored an unearned run before Kazmir got an out. Pedroia, 8-for-17 in the four-game series against the Twins, opened the first inning with a single. Holt then hit a shot into the left field corner that should have chased Pedroia only as far as third. But left fielder Ben Zobrist's misplay allowed the run to score.
In the third, Castillo, 1-for-12 against the Twins, rifled a single off the left field wall and Pedroia singled again. Holt forced Pedroia, Castillo to third and Hanley Ramirez, serving as the designated hitter, made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts opened the fourth with a double. Center fielder Mookie Betts then dropped a perfect bunt, beating it out as Lawrie threw the ball away for Oakland's third error.
The A's used three singles to break the shutout in the fifth, with Canha bringing in the run with a two-out single.
But Pedroia led off the bottom of the inning with his third hit, a double, and scored on Holt's single. Kazmir was gone after a walk later in the inning.
NOTES: The A's selected ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte from their Triple-A Nashville club on Friday. Venditte is the first switch-pitcher in the major leagues since Greg Harris did it in one game in 1995. Venditte entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning as the team's fourth pitcher and third reliever on the night. ... Oakland optioned RHP Dan Otero to Nashville to make room on the 25-man roster and shifted CF Coco Crisp from the 15- to the 60-day disabled list to clear space on the 40-man roster. ... Boston DH David Ortiz and 3B Pablo Sandoval, a combined 14-for-120 (.117) against LHPs and 12-for-57 (.211) against Oakland LHP Scott Kazmir, were both missing from the lineup on Friday. ... Red Sox GM Ben Cherington stood behind the slumping Sandoval and LF Hanley Ramirez, his two big free agent signings, saying both will get better. He also backed manager John Farrell, saying, "I don't think it's John Farrell's fault. Ultimately, it's my responsibility." ... Oakland RHP Jesse Chavez, who has thrown 15 straight scoreless innings and has a 2.11 ERA but just two wins, faces Boston's Joe Kelly (winless since his first start of the season) on Saturday.