Loretta's error costly as A's stuff Red Sox in 11

BOSTON (AP) -- Mark Loretta's All-Star buzz didn't last very

long.

The Red Sox second baseman missed Bobby Kielty's easy grounder

and allowed an unearned, game-tying run to score on Thursday night

as the Oakland Athletics rallied to send the game into extra

innings and beat Boston 5-4 in the 11th.

"I took my eye off it and it was gone," said Loretta, who made

his first All-Star start on Tuesday night thanks to a first half in

which he committed just three of the team's major league-leading 30

errors. "It was more a mental lapse than anything."

Kielty singled to score Jason Kendall and break an 11th-inning

tie, then stole second and scored on Frank Thomas' single to make

it 5-3. Jason Varitek's RBI single in the bottom of the inning made

it Oakland's league-leading 18th one-run victory of the season.

"Every day is a one-run game," A's manager Ken Macha said.

"It seems that way, at least."

Huston Street (3-3) pitched 1 2/3 innings, striking out two, for

the win. Kirk Saarloos, who is supposed to start on Monday, got the

last two outs for his second save; he was the eighth Oakland

pitcher in the game.

"After you get three days off, you like to get guys back into

the game to get their feet wet," Macha said. "We basically did

that in one game."

It was Boston's first home loss in 10 games since June 11. The

Red Sox left at least one runner on base in 10 of the 11 innings.

The Red Sox, who played 19 innings in their last game before the

All-Star break, led 1-0 and 3-1, but two runs scored -- one unearned

-- on Loretta's seventh-inning error. It stayed 3-3 until the 11th,

when Kendall doubled with one out and Nick Swisher, who homered in

the third, struck out on a close-call checked swing.

Kielty hit a hard liner off the scoreboard of the Green Monster,

and Kendall scored easily. Thomas added the insurance run against

Julian Tavarez (1-3), who worked one inning, allowing three hits

and two runs.

Oakland had lost four of five and seven of its previous 10

games.

Boston rookie Jon Lester pitched five laborious innings, needing

103 pitches to qualify for what would have been his fifth

consecutive victory. He allowed one run, five hits and five walks

while striking out three before leaving with a 3-1 lead.

Craig Hansen pitched a perfect sixth but gave up singles to

Antonio Perez and Kendall to lead off the seventh. Manny Delcarmen

came on with one out and runners on second and third and got Kielty

to hit an easy grounder to second, where Loretta took his eye off

the ball and it went by him for an error.

Perez and Kendall scored -- the latter run was unearned -- to make

it 3-3.

David Ortiz was 2-for-4 with two walks. He doubled to lead off

the third and scored on Trot Nixon's single to give Boston a 2-1

lead. Varitek singled and Mike Lowell, who hit a solo homer in the

second, added an RBI fielder's choice to make it 3-1.

Game notes
After the game, the A's activated OF Milton Bradley from

the 15-day DL and optioned 1B Dan Johnson to Triple-A Sacramento.

... With the no-decision, Lester can still become the first Red Sox

rookie to win his first five decisions since Aaron Sele won six to

start his career in 1993. ... A's 3B Eric Chavez, bothered by

tendinitis in both forearms, was not in the starting lineup. He has

played in just six of the previous 10 games. ... The Red Sox

purchased LHP Craig Breslow's contract from Triple-A Pawtucket. LHP

Lenny DiNardo was moved from the 15- to 60-day DL to make room on

the 40-man roster. ... Oakland's Esteban Loaiza matched a

career-high with six walks. ... Oakland SS Bobby Crosby singled in

the 10th to break an 0-for-21 slump.