Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career grand slam narrowly made it over the wall, but those few inches continued the winning ways of the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox will look to defeat the Athletics for the second straight night when the teams square off on Tuesday at West Sacramento, Calif.
Rafaela’s homer, which went off the glove of leaping Athletics left fielder Colby Thomas in the sixth inning, accounted for all of his team’s runs in Boston’s 4-2 victory in Monday’s opener of a four-game set.
After hitting the ball, Rafaela slammed his bat to the ground in disgust.
“I thought it was an out,” he said afterward. “I didn’t hit it the way I wanted to, but I hit it enough to go out.”
Athletics manager Mark Kotsay took note of Rafaela’s discontent.
“I’d never seen someone toss the bat to the ground (in that frustrated manner) and be rewarded in that way,” Kotsay said of the grand slam.
The blow was all Boston needed to post its 18th victory in the past 20 games. Equally impressive is that it was the 10th straight road win for the Red Sox.
“I think we have fun playing in front of the crowds that don’t want us to win,” Rafaela said.
Meanwhile, the Athletics have lost 24 of their past 30 games.
Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim each hit a solo homer to account for their scoring on Monday. Heim now will be the Athletics’ primary catcher with All-Star starter Shea Langeliers set to undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The injury ranks as a huge blow for the Athletics, who lost two-time All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker (left knee) for the season in early June.
“This is another one of our leaders and another middle-of-the-order bat that is done for the season,” Kotsay said. “This is a season that continues to challenge us in different ways. We’ve been challenged before, especially from a depth perspective in the position player group.”
Veteran right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. (right hip impingement) also will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
Infielder Curtis Mead made his Boston debut on Monday but had to exit after 4 1/2 innings with a left wrist contusion. He was hit by a pitch from A’s right-hander Jack Perkins in the fourth.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said X-rays were negative on Mead’s wrist.
“He’s sore, and we’re going to take it day-by-day and see how he feels,” Tracy said. “Right now, it looks like we dodged a bullet, maybe.”
Said Mead: “I wanted to come here and help the team. So it was frustrating.”
Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early late Saturday night. Mead hit a career-best 17 homers in 87 games for the Nationals.
“I’ve tried to be super consistent with what I do every day in the cage to prepare, so that when I step in the box, I’m feeling good about myself and can just put all my focus on the ball,” Mead said.
Boston’s Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) will match up against Gage Jump (3-6, 4.42) of the A’s in a battle of rookie left-handers on Tuesday.
Bennett, 25, has won five straight starts and has a 1.40 ERA over his past six turns. He has walked just nine batters in 59 1/3 innings over 10 starts.
Bennett defeated the Baltimore Orioles last Wednesday when he gave up three runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-3 victory.
Jump has lost five straight starts — with a 9.65 ERA during the stretch — and is winless over his last six turns. He was roughed by the Arizona Diamondbacks last Wednesday when he gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 15-5 defeat.
–Field Level Media
