G90: Athletics 8, Red Sox 1

A pathetic showing, dropping three of four to Oakland at home.

Snyder pitched well for four innings. Then he loaded the bases and walked in a run before getting two clutch strikeouts. He was one out away from escaping a huge jam down only 1-0, he couldn't do it. Two singles brought in three more runs and Rudy Seanez allowed one more (19 of his 33 first batters this year have reached base).

Alex Gonzalez popped a solo home run for Boston's only run. Manny Ramirez singled and walked twice, but also made a stupid base-running mistake, trying to go from first to third on Trot Nixon's single in the fifth. Although there were two outs -- Manny's gaffe ended the inning -- it was one of the few chances the Sox had to cut into the A's lead.

Both the Yankees and Blue Jays won this afternoon, so the East looks like this:

Boston    54  36  --
New York  53  36   ½
Toronto   51  40  3½

The Royals are next -- and nothing but a sweep will do.

***

Joe Blanton (4.95) / Kyle Snyder (10.29), 2 PM

In his lone Red Sox start, on June 19, Snyder gave up three runs and four hits while striking out six over five innings against Washington. ... In his only start against the Red Sox -- on September 15, 2005 -- Blanton allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.