Ceddanne Rafaela smacked his first career grand slam and the scorching Boston Red Sox won for the 18th time in 20 games, beating the Athletics 4-2 on Monday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Payton Tolle (6-6) struck out seven over 5 1/3 innings for the Red Sox. He gave up two runs and five hits and one walk.
Boston’s Aroldis Chapman worked out of a ninth-inning jam for his 25th save in 27 opportunities.
Chapman gave up a single to Colby Thomas to start the ninth before striking out Tommy White. Chapman then engaged in a 10-pitch battle with pinch hitter Nick Kurtz and appeared to have won it with a potential game-ending double-play grounder. However, Boston second baseman Anthony Seigler booted the ball and both runners were safe.
Chapman then fanned Henry Bolte and Alika Williams to close it out.
Tyler Soderstrom and Jonah Heim homered for the Athletics, who lost for the 24th time in their past 30 games. Thomas had two hits.
Boston’s Justin Slaten recorded the final two outs of the sixth, Jovani Moran struck out two in a perfect seventh, and Garrett Whitlock worked a flawless eighth.
A’s starter Jack Perkins (2-6) was charged with two runs and one hit over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Perkins didn’t give up a hit before Connor Wong began the sixth inning with a double into the left field corner. Perkins retired the next two batters before walking Willson Contreras.
Jose Suarez entered and walked Wilyer Abreu to load the bases. Rafaela then swatted a 2-0 slider high in the air to left. Thomas leaped and the ball went off his glove and hit the netting behind the fence for a homer as Boston took a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Heim drilled a leadoff homer to center off Tolle.
The A’s got on the board in the bottom of the first when Soderstrom hit a one-out homer to left.
Boston’s Curtis Mead made his team debut but left prior to the bottom of the fifth due to a left wrist contusion. He was hit by a pitch from Perkins in the top of the fourth. Mead was acquired from the Washington Nationals for left-hander Connelly Early on Sunday.
Athletics All-Star catcher Shea Langeliers will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Tuesday. He could be done for the season.
