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A’s lose to BoSox, 6-4
By George Devine, Sr. June 2, 2010 |
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The Athletics again faced the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park after a 9-4 loss the previous evening. The starting pitchers were righthanders Ben Sheets (2-3, 4.91 ERA) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-2, 5.77). The A’s would be overpowered again, but not without some dramatics. Oakland scored in the first when Daric Barton and Ryan Sweeney each doubled to left, and Kurt Suzuki homered off the Green Monster. In the bottom of the frame, Boston answered when former Athletic Marco Scutaro grounded a single to right and, after Dustin Pedroia flied out to right, David Ortiz doubled to left scoring Scutaro. Kevin Youkilis then doubled to right to bring Ortiz home. The Red Sox scored again in the fifth when Ortiz homered to left, bringing in Darnell McDonald who had doubled to left. In the seventh, Scutaro doubled to left center and came home on Pedroia’s souble to left. The next inning found Jeremy Hermida walking, and coming home on Scutaro’s single to left; by that time Craig “Never Say No” Breslow had relieved Sheets who wound up the loser (2-4, 6. ip, 7 h, 4 er, 1 iw, 1 k, 1 hr). The winner was Matsuzaka (4-2, 6.2 ip, 10 h, 3 er, 7 k, 1 hr). The Elephants tried to come back in the final frame when Kevin Kouzmanoff pinch-hit for Cliff Pennington, sending a Jonathan Papelbon pitch over the green monster into the New England night, for his first pinch-hit homer ever. Rajai Davis then singled to left center, but that was the end of the Oakland offense for the evening. The two teams meet again on Thursday, June 32 at 10:35 a.m. PDT, with RHP Tim Wakefield (1-3, 5.68) hosting southpaw Brett Anderson (2-1, 1.88). A’s pitcher Dallas Braden will be giving back to his hometown of Stockton on Sunday, June 6. Braden will be hosting his former little league, Hoover Tyler, to the game against Minnesota where they will participate in A’s Little League Day at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Also, during a special pre-game ceremony, Braden will announce this year’s children that he is sponsoring from the Hoover Tyler Little League who are being raised by a single parent. With the help of Hoover Tyler Little League President Larry Low, Braden invited 275 Hoover Tyler’s little leaguers to attend the A’s vs. Twins game June 6, along with one guest each. Each child is invited to participate in a special festival in B Lot along with hundreds of other local little leaguers, and parade around the warning track of the field while being high-fived by Braden and another A’s player (11:15 am parade). In addition, each little leaguer will receive the giveaway A’s kids batting helmet, sponsored by Ross Dress For Less, and enjoy the game from the Plaza Outfield section of the Coliseum. Last season, Braden announced he will annually sponsor one child from his former little league who is being raised by a single parent. As a sponsor of this child, Braden will take care of all costs associated with the little league season, including their hat, jersey, pants, equipment costs, league fees and photo package. Braden was raised in Stockton by his mother Jodie Atwood, until she passed away during his senior year of high school, and was then cared for by his grandmother, Peggy Lindsey. “You are not just raised by a single parent, you are raised by the community, and I am indebted to my community so every year I try to continue to try and pay it forward to the ‘209,’” explained Braden. “It is an honor to have the entire Hoover Tyler Little League out to the Coliseum. I am happy that I am in the position to be able to give a few kids a carefree day at the ballpark with their friends and family. Every day I spend at the ballpark, my life is changed, and I want to be able to give that gift to all the boys and girls that are in a position that I myself know all too well.” This year, Braden will be sponsoring two children, brothers, Reagan (11 years old) and Alec Liddon (nine years old), who have been raised by their mother, Lisa, since their father passed from anemia in 2006. In addition, Lisa looks after her two nephews, who also live in their home in Stockton. On June 6 at 10:20 am, Braden will host a 30-minute clinic and Q/A session in the A’s bullpen for the Liddon boys, their teammates and coaches. They will then parade around the warning track, along with the other Hoover Tyler and Bay Area little leaguers. Following the parade, the Liddon boys will be invited into the clubhouse to meet with other A’s players before returning the field to prepare for a special pre-game ceremony. The A’s and Braden will honor the boys in a special ceremony (12:50 pm) and present each of them with a Braden jersey and new Mizuno glove and Easton bat, before they simultaneously throw out the ceremonial first pitch, to be caught by Braden and a teammate. Reagan and Alec will then enjoy the A’s vs. Twins game with their mother and extended family members on the Plaza Outfield section of the Coliseum. The A’s host two Little League Days at the Park and over 8,000 Bay Area little leaguers participate in a pre-game festival, high-five players while parading around the field and enjoy the game in a special section of the Coliseum each year. The A’s Player Ticket Purchase Program offers players and coaches the opportunity to buy tickets at a discounted price and donate them to a community or non-profit group of their choice with the A’s Community Fund matching the total number of tickets purchased. More information on the A’s or their community programs can be found on the team’s website, oaklandathletics.com. |
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