All-Star Houck limits A’s to 2 hits in 6 innings, Red Sox win 7-0
By Brendan McGair
The Associated Press
BOSTON — All-Star pitcher Tanner Houck helped the Red Sox continue their dominance against the A’s as the right-hander limited Oakland to two hits in six innings as Boston won 7-0 on Thursday night.
Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida homered as Boston won for the fifth time in six games against Oakland this season.
Houck (8-6) took a no-hitter into the fifth and struck out six in his first victory since June 13. He threw 64 of 103 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA from 2.68 to 2.54.
Oakland starter Luis Medina (2-4) rebounded from a shaky first inning to go five innings. The right-hander struck out seven and allowed two of Boston’s three home runs.
Yoshida went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs, Abreu also was 3 for 4, and Wong and David Hamilton each had two hits.
With two on and two down in the sixth, Boston manager Alex Cora visited the mound. He had Brennan Bernardino warming up the bullpen, but Cora elected to stay with Houck after he threw a wild pitch to put the runners in in second and third. Houck got Lawrence Butler on a grounder to shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela for the final out.
With two down in the first, Yoshida doubled in two runs and Abreu followed with a run-scoring double to make it 3-0. Wong cleared the Green Monster for a solo homer in the fourth, and Abreu went to straight-away center to make it 5-0 in the fourth. Yoshida capped the scoring with a two-run home run in the sixth.
Chase Anderson followed Houck with three innings of one-hit ball with four strikeouts en route to his third save.
The A’s are 13-35 on the road.
The Red Sox have won eight of their last 10 to improve to 51-41.
Trainer’s room
First baseman Tyler Soderstrom was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a bone bruise in his left wrist. The move is retroactive to Wednesday. OF/1B Seth Brown was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas to take the roster spot.
Brown, who went 1-for-3 on Thursday for the A’s, rejoins the team after being outrighted to Triple-A on June 18. In 16 games with Las Vegas, Brown hit .403 with seven home runs, 24 RBIs and a 1.152 OPS in 77 plate appearances.
He began the year on the A’s Opening Day roster and batted .189 with five home runs, 15 RBI and a .557 OPS in 63 games.
Up next
The A’s travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series. LHP Hogan Harris (1-3, 3.22) was set to start for Oakland on Friday against LHP Ranger Suárez (10-3, 2.58).