Pedroia’s 100th HR comes in grand style as Sox topple A’s

Dustin Pedroia’s 100^th career home run could not have come at a better time for the Boston Red Sox, a club that has been hampered by their lack of timely hitting all season. The Red Sox entered Friday’s contest versus the Oakland A’s with a subpar .229 batting average with runners in scoring position in 2014.

Dustin Pedroia connected on the A's Ryan Cook's 0-2 pitch, croaking a grand slam over the Green Monster. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Pedroia delivered a clutch grand slam, elevating the second baseman into the triple-digit home run club, also recording his 503 career RBI’s in the process. In becoming the 27^th player in Red Sox history with at least 100 homers and 500 RBIs, Pedroia also joined elite company with Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski as the only players in franchise history to record least 100 homers, 500 RBIs and 100 stolen bases.

Pedroia belted the four-run shot over the Green Monster off A’s reliever Ryan Cook as the Sox took a 6-1 lead that was never to be relinquished.

"As a team we’ve been scuffling a little bit with guys on, so I kept my weight back, which is nice, I haven’t been doing that lately," Pedroia said, via MassLive.com. "I was able to hit it, I kind of hit it off the end but I back-spun it and was just able to get it over the Monster."

          Pedroia’s monster shot was long overdue. The four-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year (2007) and Most Valuable Player (2008) entered Friday’s tilt with no dingers on the year.

“I’m feeling good. I’m still trying to make adjustments every day trying to get better. I was pretty excited to hit a home run. It’s been a while,” Pedroia said, via the Boston Globe.

It had been 163 at-bats between home runs for Pedroia, who last went yard on Sept. 17, 2013, a span of 52 games (36 in the regular season and 16 in the playoffs).

Right-hander Clay Buchholz delivered his second consecutive solid outing in the Red Sox’s 7-1 victory. He allowed a season-low in runs (1) and hits (3) in 6 1/3 innings of work. Buchholz picked up the win, evening his record at 2-2 for the year.