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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Boston's bats came alive after a pregame
team meeting to clear the air.
|  | | Paxton Crawford allowed one run over six innings to improve to 3-0. |
Chris Stynes hit a solo homer and an RBI double, and Jose
Offerman added another solo shot and a run-scoring single as the
Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 7-1 Saturday to snap a
three-game losing slide.
Manny Ramirez went 4-for-5 with four singles, raising his
batting average to .407.
The victory came after a private team meeting to quiet internal
disagreements and overcome the recent slump. Boston had lost five
of six going in.
Boston manager Jimy Williams wouldn't comment on what was said
at the meeting.
"Today created awareness, and that's about all," catcher Jason
Varitek said.
"Tempers and attitudes are sometimes different after you've
lost a couple in a row," outfielder Darren Lewis said. "But the
bottom line is, you always have to go out and play the game the
same, win or lose."
Starter Paxton Crawford (3-0) allowed the one run on six hits
over six innings. He was coming off his worst outing of the season,
allowing six runs on seven hits in the second inning in a
no-decision against Kansas City on April 29.
"I thought long and hard about what happened, and realized you
have to stay on an even keel," Crawford said. "A game like that
makes you sit back and think. Suddenly you realize what's going on
around here. You have to stay focused for every game."
The A's, who held their own team meeting before Friday's 7-3
victory over Boston, had won a season-high three straight games.
Barry Zito (3-3) allowed five runs on eight hits over four
innings in his second straight loss. Miguel Tejada hit an RBI
single off Crawford in the sixth for Oakland's run.
Dante Bichette's two-out single off Zito scored Offerman in the
first inning to give Boston the lead.
In the bottom half, Frank Menechino singled with one out and
went to third on Jason Giambi's double. Terrence Long struck out,
and Olmedo Saenz was hit by Crawford to load the bases, but Jeremy
Giambi struck out. It was the closest the A's would come to scoring
until Tejada's RBI in the sixth.
"We're focused. We're playing well. We just ran into a tough
customer today," A's manager Art Howe said.
Stynes' homer to left on a 3-2 pitch from Zito in the third
inning made it 2-0.
Lewis doubled down the left-field line in the fourth inning to
score Shea Hillenbrand, who had tripled. Stynes' double scored
Lewis, and Offerman's single scored Stynes to make it 5-0.
"I'm not doing my job, giving up five runs," Zito said.
Offerman hit his homer in the seventh inning, and Mike Lansing
scored on Tejada's fielding error in the eighth.
Ramirez has had 10 career four-hit games, with his last one on
August 25, 1999, against Oakland. He had nine home runs and 31 RBI
in April and was selected AL player of the month.
Game notes
A's manager Art Howe used the same starting lineup Friday
and Saturday. He had used 20 different lineups in Oakland's first
29 games. ... Zito had 44 strikeouts in April, the most in one
month for an A's pitcher since Dave Stewart struck out 45 in
September 1988. ... Boston's Trot Nixon, who had a five-game
hitting streak, including three doubles on Friday, was not in the
lineup Saturday but was hitless in one at-bat after coming in late
as a defensive replacement. ... Ramirez successfully slid headfirst
into first base to beat a throw for the second straight game.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
NY Yankees 5
Baltimore 2
Boston 7
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Toronto 5
Cleveland 9
Tampa Bay 4
Kansas City 12
Minnesota 10
Texas 2
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 11
Anaheim 2
NY Mets 8
Arizona 1
San Diego 5
Cincinnati 2
Chicago Cubs 20
Los Angeles 1
Atlanta 6
St. Louis 5
Milwaukee 8
Florida 2
Houston 4
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 4
San Francisco 2
Pittsburgh 11
Colorado 3
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