WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ceddanne Rafaela hit his first major league grand slam and the Boston Red Sox beat the Athletics 4-2 after being held without a hit through five innings Monday night.
Connor Wong doubled leading off the sixth for the first hit against Athletics rookie starter Jack Perkins (2-6), who was pulled after walking Willson Contreras with two outs. José Suarez walked Wilyer Abreu to load the bases, setting the stage for Rafaela’s 11th homer and a 4-1 lead.
Curtis Mead struck out looking his first time up in his Boston debut and then left after he was hit on the wrist by a pitch his second time up. The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Washington Nationals on Saturday night for rookie pitcher Connelly Early.
Tyler Soderstrom extended his hitting streak to 10 games when he launched his 17th homer to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead two batters into the bottom of the first against Payton Tolle. Jonah Heim homered for the 10th time to cut it to 4-2 in the sixth.
Tolle (6-6) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one to help the surging Red Sox (55-50) win for the 18th time in 20 games.
The A’s have lost three straight and 24 of 30.
Before the game, the Athletics announced that All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers and right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. will have season-ending surgeries on Tuesday. Langeliers will have surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee and Leiter will have surgery to repair a right hip impingement.
Langeliers was hitting .263 with 23 homers and 51 RBIs in 93 games before his injury. The 28-year-old became the first A’s catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach in 1989.
Leiter is 0-1 with a 4.28 ERA and four saves in 36 relief appearances.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) starts Tuesday opposite Athletics LHP Gage Jump (3-6, 4.42).
