A’s Work Overtime to Defeat Red Sox

All-Star second baseman Mark Loretta missed Bobby Kielty’s easy grounder and allowed the tying run to score on Thursday night for the Oakland Athletics, who rallied to beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, in 11 innings at Fenway Park.

“I took my eye off it and it was gone,” said Loretta, who made his first All-Star start on Tuesday night thanks to a first half in which he committed just three errors. “It was more a mental lapse than anything.”

Kielty singled to score Jason Kendall and break an 11th-inning tie, then stole second and scored on Frank Thomas’ single to make it 5-3.

Jason Varitek’s run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning made it the A’s league-leading 18th one-run win.

“Every day is a one-run game,” A’s Manager Ken Macha said. “It seems that way, at least.”

Huston Street (3-3) pitched 1 2/3 innings, striking out two, for the win. Kirk Saarloos, who is supposed to start on Monday, got the last two out for his second save. He was the eighth A’s pitcher.

“After you get three days off, you like to get guys back into the game to get their feet wet,” Macha said. “We basically did that in one game.”

It was Boston’s first home loss in 10 games since June 11. The Red Sox left at least one runner on base in 10 of the 11 innings.

After the game, the A’s activated outfielder Milton Bradley from the 15-day disabled list and optioned first baseman Dan Johnson to triple-A Sacramento.