Pratt's Instant Replay: Athletics 20, Red Sox 2

BOX SCORE

OAKLAND -- There's lopsided wins and then there's what happened in Oakland on Friday night. The A's clobbered the Red Sox in a 20-2 assault, The fourth time in Oakland history the team has scored 20 runs in a game.The A's have now won six in a row against the Red Sox for the first time since 1969, have won seven games in a row, and are a season-high 17 games over .500.At the PlateBrandon Moss got the start at first base over Chris Carter because he has a good track record against Red Sox starting pitcher Aaron Cook. He didn't disappoint. Moss clubbed two RBI doubles and a two-run homer to right field. He ended the night with four hits and four RBI -- both career highs. The home run came in the fifth inning off reliever Junichi Tazawa.Jonny Gomes spent the afternoon giving a tour to the Petaluma National Little League team. He led them through the dugout and clubhouse before the game, then led by example on the field. He cracked an RBI single in the first inning that sent the Petaluma kids into a frenzy in their left field suite. He knocked starting pitcher Cook out of the game with another run-scoring single in the third.Josh Donaldson is staying insanely hot. He incinerated one of Cook's pitches for a two-run homer off the concrete facing of the left field bleachers. With regular third baseman Brandon Inge set to return any day now, Donaldson has hit three homers in his last three games. He drove in another run with the based loaded in the seventh inning. He left the game with an apparent injury after reaching third in the seventh.George Kottaras kept the rout of the Red Sox going with a solo home run to right field. His second homer with the A's made it a 9-1 game. He made it an even 20 runs for Oakland with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. This is the first time Kottaras has hit two home runs in a game.The A's rallied for nine runs in the seventh inning. They sent 11 batters to the plate and forced the Red Sox to throw 52 pitches. The big blow for the A's was a Josh Reddick's first career grand slam which gave the A's an 18-2 lead. Like Donaldson, Reddick has three homers in as many games. Donaldson, Kottaras, Cliff Pennington, and Stephen Drew also drove in runs in that inning. The last time the A's put up a nine spot in a single frame was July 27, 2011 against Tampa Bay. Starting Pitching ReportBrandon McCarthy went six and one-thirds innings and allowed just two runs. He scattered nine hits and didn't walk a batter.Boston's first run off McCarthy was scored on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia homer to right field. It looked like a mistake pitch as it was a cutter left a little high over the plate. McCarthy saved his first strikeout of the game for when he needed it the most. With runners on the corners and one out he got James Loney swinging on a 91-mph cutter. Loney was the 23rd Boston batter. McCarthy retired Saltalamacchia to end the inning and the Red Sox threat.McCarthy left the game with 103 pitches and runners on first and second. One of those runners ended up scoring after a wild pitch and a ground out.Bullpen ReportPedro Figueroa entered in relief of McCarthy in the seventh. He threw a wild pitch before retiring the next two batters he faced. He was assisted by two solid plays by Donaldson. He lasted one and two-thirds innings. Evan Scribner pitched a low pressure ninth inning with an 18-run lead.In the FieldCliff Pennington made a spectacular over the shoulder catch in right field -- yes, right field. The second baseman ranged deep into the outfield and snagged the ball as he went into a slide just missing Reddick.In the seventh inning with runners on second and third Donaldson made a ranging bare-handed play on a ball down the third baseline. A runner scored on the play but Donaldson's effort limited the damage.
AttendanceThe A's announced an attendance of 20,121.Dot RaceGold wins the dot race. White bumped Green off the track just prior to the finish line.Up NextA.J. Griffin (3-0, 2.42) will return from the disabled list and take the mound on Saturday for the A's. We have the full details here.The Red Sox will be sending Felix Doubront (10-6, 4.79 ERA) to the mound. He gave up five runs in four innings in a losing effort against the against the A's on May 1.