Athletics Beat Red Sox; Chapman Allows First Hit Since July

The Oakland Athletics delivered an electrifying late rally to defeat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in West Sacramento. They avoided what would’ve been a morale-crushing sweep.

The game had breakout performances by promising rookies and critical late-inning drama. Fans even saw a couple of milestone moments that could shake up the Athletics’ season.

Boston’s struggles closing out tight games came into focus again. This marked their league-leading 12th walk-off loss of the season.

A Ninth-Inning to Remember

All game long, the Red Sox looked ready to seal the sweep. But baseball’s beauty lies in its unpredictability.

The A’s proved that cliché true yet again. Down a run in the ninth, Oakland jumped on a rare misstep from Boston’s flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman had been untouchable for nearly a month. That changed in a hurry.

Breaking Chapman’s Hitless Streak

Chapman came in riding a franchise-record 17 consecutive hitless appearances. Shea Langeliers ripped a leadoff double and snapped that streak.

The momentum flipped right there. Moments later, Lawrence Butler lined a clutch RBI single off a blistering 100.2 mph fastball, sending Langeliers home with the winning run.

Boston looked stunned. Sometimes, that’s just how baseball goes.

Power Surge from the Rookies

The walk-off grabbed headlines, but Oakland’s young sluggers also put on a show. The franchise’s future flashed some serious power, and maybe their rebuild has a pulse after all.

Milestone Home Runs

Nick Kurtz opened the scoring for Oakland with a solo shot in the second inning. He became the 32nd rookie in MLB history to hit 30 homers.

Kurtz joined an elite group as just the third Athletics rookie to do it. Langeliers wasn’t about to let him have all the spotlight—he slugged his own 30th homer in the first inning, finally halting Oakland’s frustrating 19-inning scoreless streak.

• Nick Kurtz: 30 homers as a rookie – historic achievement
• Shea Langeliers: 30th homer of the season, ending a lengthy scoring drought
• Jacob Wilson: Continued consistency at the plate, now hitting .319

Back-and-Forth Battle

This game wasn’t just about late heroics. From the first pitch, it was a tug-of-war.

Boston’s offense kept punching. Oakland had to respond every time to stay alive.

Trading the Lead

Early on, Boston leaned on RBI hits from Nate Eaton and Trevor Story. Jarren Duran added another to give them a 3-2 advantage in the fourth inning.

In the fifth, Tyler Soderstrom crushed a two-run double, flipping the scoreboard in Oakland’s favor at 4-3. Boston answered—Rob Refsnyder tied it in the top of the ninth with a sharp RBI double off Elvis Alvarado.

That set the stage for Oakland’s dramatic rally. What a ride.

Pitching Performances Stand Out

The offense stole the show, but the pitching wasn’t just background noise. Boston’s debuting pitcher Kyle Harrison shined in his first MLB outing, delivering three scoreless innings.

He kept the game in reach early. For Oakland, Hogan Harris came through in the clutch, striking out Jarren Duran and retiring Alex Bregman to end the game in the ninth.

That sealed the victory. Sometimes, the arms deserve a little love too.

Key Pitching Takeaways

• Hogan Harris: Earned the win with critical ninth-inning outs
• Kyle Harrison: Impressive Red Sox debut with three scoreless frames
• Aroldis Chapman: First hit allowed since July 23 proved costly

Looking Ahead

For Oakland, this win means more than just avoiding a sweep. It’s a shot in the arm, and maybe even a little proof that their rookies can actually hang with the top teams.

The offense looks sharp. These young guys keep hitting milestones, and there’s a buzz of belief growing in West Sacramento.

Boston, on the other hand, keeps struggling to close out games. Twelve walk-off losses leads the league, and honestly, that’s a stat they just can’t ignore if they want to make a real push.

Chapman will have to shake this one off. The Red Sox need to find their nerve when things get tight late in the game.

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