Boston Red Sox pitchers lack of control cost them
It was far from a pitcher’s duel in Oakland Friday night as Felix Doubront faced off against Brad Mills. Doubront was making his return to the big league roster after a minor league rehab stint, and Mills was making his Oakland Athletics debut after they purchased him for $1 from the Milwaukee Brewers.
No, that is not a typo, the A’s were able to purchase the contract of Mills from the Brewers for just a single dollar due to a clause in his contract giving him a dollar waiver fee for any team that places him directly onto their 25-man roster.
More from Red Sox News
- Aaron Judge’s Yankees return a brutal reminder of what could have been for Red Sox
- Red Sox should capitalize on Yankees’ latest roster move
- Red Sox ownership’s latest reported venture could be what’s affected team spending
- How Red Sox’ latest cheap endeavor could carve out a role in 2023
- Conflicting report about Mookie Betts trade paints Chaim Bloom in even worse light
Mills went just four innings while walking four and striking out four, but gave up three runs, two of which were earned. Doubront’s line was incredibly similar, as he also walked four and struck out four, but all three of the runs he gave up were earned thanks to a Josh Donaldson three-run home run in the bottom of the first. Doubront was lifted from the game after just 4.2 innings.
The early Red Sox runs came via a 2-RBI single from Jackie Bradley Jr. in the second and an RBI single from David Ortiz in the third.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Andrew Miller hit back-to-back batters before giving up an RBI single to Yoenis Cespedes making the score 4-3 in favor of the A’s. The two hit batsmen were the second and third A’s to be hit by a pitch in the game, with the first being Craig Gentry, who was barely grazed by the ball and needed replay to overturn the original call that Gentry was not hit by the pitch.
Sean Doolittle came into the game in the ninth for the A’s and got Jackie Bradley Jr. to pop out before striking out Brock Holt and Xander Bogaerts to get his 10th save of the season and the A’s their MLB leading 46th win.