WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aroldis Chapman allowed his first hit since July 23, and the Athletics rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4, avoiding a series sweep.
Shea Langeliers led off the ninth with a double off Chapman (4-3), who had gone a span of 50 batters and a franchise-record 17 appearances, the third-longest streak in MLB history since 1901, without allowing a hit. Only the Marlins’ Randy Choate (20) in 2011 and Mets’ Tim Byrdak (18) in 2012 have had longer hitless appearance streaks.
After Langeliers advanced to second on a flyout, Lawrence Butler won it with an RBI single on a 100.2 mph fastball with a 1-2 count for the A’s, who handed the Red Sox their major-league-high 12th walk-off loss of the year.
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“I wasn’t thinking about the streak, but just knowing going into that at-bat, just knowing Chapman’s one of the best to over do it,” Langeliers told reporters after the game. “In a moment like that, you just go back to staying consistent, being the same guy, not trying to do too much and just be in the moment.”
Nick Kurtz led off the second inning with a 357-foot shot to left field off Payton Tolle to give the A’s a 2-1 lead. He is the 32nd player to hit 30 homers as a rookie — and third A’s slugger to do it, joining Jose Canseco (33 in 1986) and Mark McGwire (49 in 1987).
A’s rookie Jacob Wilson went 1-for-4 and is hitting .319, just behind major league leader Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, who started the night at .321.
Langeliers hit his career-high 30th homer, a solo shot in the first. That run snapped a 19-inning scoreless streak for the A’s, who were blanked in the first two games of the series.
Rob Refsnyder’s RBI double off Elvis Alvarado tied it at 4-4 in the ninth. Hogan Harris (2-1) came on and struck out Jarren Duran before retiring Alex Bregman for the win.
Nate Eaton and Trevor Story had RBI doubles and Duran drove in a run, putting put Boston up 3-2 in the fourth.
Tyler Soderstrom’s two-run double in the fifth gave the A’s a 4-3 lead.
Tolle gave up two runs in two innings in his third career start. Kyle Harrison, part of the trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Giants, made his Red Sox debut and allowed three hits in three scoreless innings.
Mason Barnett gave up three runs on seven hits in 3⅔ innings in his third career start for the A’s.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.