G53: Red Sox 9, Athletics 4

Athletics - 002 020 000 - 4 13  0
Red Sox   - 000 032 13x - 9 14  1

Victor Martinez went 5-for-5, with a career-high four doubles, leading Boston's comeback.

Martinez has had three other five-hit games: July 16, 2004 (3 HR, 7 RBI), July 4, 2006, and August 2, 2009. Martinez hit three doubles against the Twins about two weeks ago, on May 20.

Martinez doubled with one out in the fifth, Kevin Youkilis singled, and Adrian Beltre lined a three-run dong over the Wall, cutting Oakland's lead from 4-0 to 4-3. In the sixth, the first three Red Sox batters walked. Dustin Pedroia's GIDP tied the game and Martinez's ground rule double into the triangle gave the Sox a 5-4 lead.

A two-out walk by J.D. Drew, followed by Bill Hall's triple, made it 6-4 -- and the Sox batted around in the eighth to put the game on ice. With one out, Pedroia doubled, Martinez doubled, Youkilis singled; after David Ortiz flew out, Beltre singled and Drew singled. There were a couple of wild pitches, too.

Lackey (6-12-4-2-4, 116) allowed a small army of base runners, but stranded most of them, including seven in the 4th-5th-6th innings.

The Blue Jays led the Rays 5-0 after six innings, but Tampa got three in the seventh and (aided by five walks) four in the ninth and won 7-6. The Yankees beat the Orioles 3-1.

East: NYY 2.5 GB, TOR 4.5 GB, BOS 5.5 GB.

Gio Gonzalez / John Lackey

Scutaro, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Martinez, C
Youkilis, 1B
Ortiz, DH
Beltre, 3B
Drew, RF
Hall, LF
McDonald, CF

Oakland is 28-24 and is 1 GA of the Rangers in the AL West.

The A's have scored 205 runs and allowed 212 runs (expected record: 25-27). They went 16-12 in May despite scoring 99 runs and allowing 113. They have won eight of their last 10 games and 10 of their last 14. (Fangraphs' Matt Klaassen on the A's.)

Boston is 29-23, 5 GB Tampa Bay.

In his last four starts, Lackey has allowed 31 hits and 16 walks in 24.1 innings (6.29).

I've looked at some of those walks and they weren't really walks. I've gone back and looked. My control is not as bad as it seems. ... I'm going to be OK. I'm not worried about it.

The A's have allowed only 21 earned runs in their past 10 games (27 runs overall). In six of the 10 games, Oakland has allowed 0 or 1 run.

Michael Silverman, Herald:

Red Sox starters were 6-6 with a 4.86 ERA in April, a perfect reflection of the team's overall mediocrity that month.

But with Jon Lester leading the way, they rebounded in May.

Starters ERA:

            APR    MAY    DIFF
Rays       2.76   3.40   -0.64
Yankees    3.41   3.94   -0.53
Blue Jays  4.02   4.46   -0.44
Red Sox    4.86   4.32   +0.54

The Red Sox traded Jonathan Van Every to the Pirates for minor league catcher Josue Peley. This will most likely be the last time you hear Peley's name (because he has hit .186/.241/.234 in two seasons of A ball).

Also at 7 PM:

Rays/Blue Jays

Orioles/Yankees

June 1 in Baseball History

1918: Trailing the Yankees 5-4, the White Sox load the bases in the ninth inning with no outs. Chick Gandil hits a line drive to New York third baseman Frank Baker, who starts a game-ending triple play.

1923: The Giants score in every inning and beat the Phillies 22-8.

Giants   - 421 155 121 - 22 23  0
Phillies - 140 110 010 -  8 15  0

1925: Lou Gehrig pinch-hits for Pee Wee Wanninger, beginning his streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive games.

2000: Tomo Ohka of the Pawtucket Red Sox pitches a perfect game (on only 76 pitches!) against the Charlotte Knights, winning 2-0. It is only the 3rd perfect game in the 117 years of the International League. Three years later, on August 10, 2003, Bronson Arroyo of the Paw Sox will pitch the IL's 4th perfect game.