OAKLAND, Calif., July 13 (UPI) -- Dustin Pedroia's two-run single broke a tie in the eighth inning Friday and pushed Boston past Oakland 4-2.
The Red Sox won their fourth in a row and improved to 5-3 on a 10-game western trip that will take them to the All-Star break.
Brock Holt gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the second with a two-run single, but Oakland tied it on a run-scoring single in the fifth by John Jaso and a home run by Jed Lowrie in the sixth.
Sean Doolittle (3-3) came on for the Athletics to work the eighth and he gave up a leadoff single to Jose Iglesias. Holt sacrificed Iglesias to second and he moved to third on a ground out by Jacoby Ellsbury.
Shane Victorino was then hit by a pitch and stole second, putting two runners in scoring position for Pedroia. He came through with a two-out single to left.
That gave the win to starter John Lackey (7-6), who allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings. Koji Uehara struck out the side in the ninth for his eighth save.
