BOSTON -- In a matchup of rookie pitchers, Oakland's Jarrod Parker easily got the best of Felix Doubront.
Parker, making only his third major league start, limited the Red Sox to a single run over 6 23 innings as the A's beat the Red Sox, 5-3.
Doubront, featuring a terrific changeup, notched eight strikeouts in the 12 outs he recorded, but also allowed five runs on six hits with two walks and two wild pitches. He came out after just four innings with an inflated pitch count of 94 -- or four fewer than Parker, who pitched almost three innings longer.
The A's broke up a 1-1 game with four runs in the fourth. Cliff Pennington doubled home two runs. A run-scoring single by Jemile Weeks, followed by a stolen base and wild pitch, resulted in two more runs.
Oakland had four steals -- all of third base.
Until the ninth, Boston's only run was manufactured in the fourth when Dustin Pedroia led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch then advanced to third and scored on two groundouts.
The Sox loaded the bases in the ninth against A's closer Grant Balfour and got a two-run single from Mike Aviles before Jordan Norberto got the final two outs.