Oakland A’s outfielder celebrates 24th birthday with crucial hit

BOSTON — Lawrence Butler hit a two-run double to back a solid outing from JP Sears as the Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Wednesday night.

Butler had been scuffling of late but on his 24th birthday, went 2-for-3 to help Oakland earn its first win over the Red Sox this season after four straight losses.

Since he was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on June 18, marking his second stint with the A’s this year, Butler was 12-for-52 (.231) with three home runs and eight RBI in
18 games before Wednesday. All three of the home runs had come over his previous seven games.

“It builds confidence for sure,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters Wednesday when asked about Butler. “I was thinking about it during the game. Those two balls he hit today, if you go back two weeks ago, three weeks ago, he was taking those for strikes. He wasn’t being aggressive, wasn’t trying to use that side of the field, and those two balls he hit tonight were missiles.”

Kotsay said Butler’s double into the corner “was a huge at-bat and a huge momentum swing in the game.

“You love to see the results happen this fast but that also takes an open mind and willingness to make some adjustments and for a young player, that’s hard.”

Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta (4-6) lost despite striking out eight consecutive batters, tying a Red Sox record for the second time. He also fanned eight straight Detroit Tigers on May 30. The only other Red Sox pitcher to accomplish the feat was Roger Clemens, who whiffed a record 20 hitters against Seattle on April 29, 1986.

Pivetta went 6 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out 10, reaching double digits for the 15th time in his career and third this season.

“It was a weird game, right? We scored those runs, and then I think we had eight consecutive strikeouts,” Kotsay said. “(Pivetta’s) having a pretty decent year. He has that ability to strike guys out with the breaking ball, and he utilized it very well.”

Sears (6-7) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. Mason Miller, Oakland’s rookie All-Star, got his 15th save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth.

Oakland scored three runs in the third. Max Schuemann and Miguel Andujar singled before Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers drew consecutive two-out walks, forcing in a run. Butler’s double made it 3-0.

The A’s added a run in the seventh when JJ Bleday’s two-out double scored Schuemann. They got another run in the eighth against right-hander Josh Winckowski as Rooker led off with a ground-rule double followed by a single from Langeliers and a walk to Butler, setting up Tyler Nevin’s sacrifice fly.

Rob Refsnyder hit a leadoff homer for Boston in the sixth. Tyler O’Neill had an RBI infield single in the seventh before All-Star slugger Rafael Devers grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

IMPENDING RETURNS?

Ross Stripling and Paul Blackburn are getting closer to returning to the rotation, although rust and Hurricane Beryl added a slight wrinkle to the plan.

Both veterans made a rehab appearance on Tuesday night in Stockton for the Single-A Ports, but neither completed a full inning.

Stripling, sidelined since May 1 because of a strained right elbow, started the game and allowed two hits (including a home run) and two runs (one earned), walked one, and had a strikeout for one of the two outs he recorded in his 24-pitch outing.

Blackburn, recovering from a stress reaction in his right foot, threw 23 pitches in his first appearance since May 10 and got two outs, also striking out one, but walked the first two batters he faced and allowed two hits and three runs.

Kotsay said both pitchers threw another dozen or so pitches in the bullpen to hit their target pitch counts.

“They came out of it feeling fine, so that’s the positive,” Kotsay told reporters in Boston before Wednesday’s game. “They both have been out for a little while, so command can be an issue your first time out.”

The pair — and outfielder Esteury Ruiz — were scheduled to join the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators in Sugar Land, Texas, but power outages at Constellation Field following Hurricane Beryl could postpone those games. The trio will remain with the Ports, with Stripling and Blackburn scheduled to pitch again on Sunday.

UP NEXT

The teams wrap up their six-game season series Thursday night. RHP Luis Medina (2-3, 4.37 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Athletics against All-Star RHP Tanner Houck (7-6, 2.68).