Pratt's Instant Replay: A's 3, Red Sox 2

BOX SCORE

OAKLAND -- Coco Crisp lead off with a home run. The A's didn't score again until the ninth inning when they needed it the most. The A's rallied in the ninth, tying the game on a Brandon Moss pinch-hit, RBI single. Crisp, who started the game's scoring, ended it with a walk-off sacrifice fly as the A's won 3-2. At the PlateCrisp's leadoff homer was his third home run of the season. He is now the third former Red Sox player to hit a homer in this series. Crisp's leadoff shot down the left field line also makes him the first A's player to have multiple leadoff homers in a single season since 2004. After the first inning, no A's hitter got on-base until Kurt Suzuki hit a bloop single in the fifth. Suzuki's single snapped a streak of 13 consecutive batters retired by Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester.After Lester left the game, the A's rallied in the eighth inning. Suzuki hit a liner off Mike Aviles' glove for a single. Crisp followed him with a single to left. Jemile Weeks laid down a bunt to move the runners over, and the Red Sox intentionally walked Josh Reddick to load the bases for Yoenis Cespedes. The Cuban slugger struck out swinging. Jonny Gomes came up next and also struck out swinging.Chris Carter went 2-for-4, and started the ninth inning with a key single. Cliff Pennington followed with a single as well. Carter was driven in by Moss to tie the game. Crisp then hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the game winning run. Cespedes ended up 0-for-4, with three strikeouts on the night. Starting Pitching ReportBartolo Colon returned from the disabled list and and looked fully recovered from the right oblique strain that sidelined him for two weeks. He threw six innings, allowing two runs, just one of them earned, and struck out three hitters. He allowed just one walk, it happened to be in the first inning to leadoff hitter Daniel Nava. One of the five hits Colon allowed was a game-tying home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the second inning. The unearned run that was scored off of Colon came as a result of a Chris Carter error at first base. Colon was working on a limited pitch count. He ended up throwing 87 pitches. Bullpen ReportJordan Norberto pitched the seventh inning. He gave up a single to Aviles and balked him two second. Aviles made it to third after a ground out, but Norberto kept him there, striking out Nava looking to end the inning. Jim Miller started the eighth inning by walking back-to-back hitters. He then struck out Cody Ross before leaving the game. Jerry Blevins entered next, pitching his way out of the A's jam. He got Adrian Gonzalez to fly out to center field and struck out Saltalamacchia. Blevins stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless ninth inning as well. In the FieldThe big knock on Chris Carter is his defense, or lack thereof. On Tuesday his defensive inefficiency reared its ugly head again. With runners on the corners Colon induced a ground ball to first, Carter tried to back hand the ball but couldn't come up with it, allowing David Ortiz to score. The play gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Carter's night defensively was summed up in one play in the ninth. He laid out for a ball on a bunt attempt making the catch, then airmailed the throw to Weeks at first. Weeks got the ball and tagged the bag to get the double play. Suzuki then gunned down Ryan Kalish as he attempted to steal third. Cespedes played left field and almost collided with shortstop Brandon Hicks in shallow left field on a bloop single. Cespedes and Hicks made contact with Cespedes' glove flying off. No one was hurt. AttendanceThe A's announced a sellout attendance of 35,067. It is their fifth sellout of the season. For what it's worth, the River Cats played in front of a sellout crowd of 15,212. The second largest crowd at Raley Field history.Dot RaceWhite wins the dot race. What? You thought Red would win? No chance. Up NextA.J. Griffin (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will take on Aaron Cook (2-1, 4.32 ERA). Cook is coming off a two-hit shutout of the Seattle Mariners. Griffin shut down a more impressive offense, throwing six shutout innings against the Rangers in Arlington in his last start. Griffin hasn't allowed a run since the first inning of his first start which came June 24 against the Giants.