Jon Lester Strikes Out Career-High 15 as Red Sox Beat A's 6-3

Jon Lester walks off the mound with all smiles after striking out the side in the eighth. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Jon Lester delivered his best outing of the season on Saturday, striking out a career-high 15 batters in the Boston Red Sox’s 6-3 triumph over the visiting Oakland A’s.

The southpaw was able to set the tone early in the matinee, retiring the side in the first inning on just nine pitches. Lester’s red-hot start continued as he struck out nine of the first 13 batters he faced.

The A’s were only able to muster one hit off Lester, a leadoff bloop single in the top of the third by Craig Gentry.

Lester (3-4) walked just two batters and threw 119 pitches in eight scoreless innings. He became the first Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez in 2001 to record 15 strikeouts in a game. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Lester is the first left-handed starter with 15 strikeouts with just one-hit surrendered since Randy Johnson accomplished the feat in 1997 as a member of the Seattle Mariners.

The Red Sox were paced on offense by a grand slam for the second consecutive game. A day after Dustin Pedroia cleared the bases on a tapering shot to left field, Jonny Gomes was able to add a four-run shot of his own over the Green Monster that gave the Red Sox an early 4-0 cushion.

David Ortiz increased the lead in the bottom of the third with a solo homer beyond the bullpens in right. Ortiz now has hit 379 home runs with the Red Sox, tying him with Dwight Evans for fourth in franchise history. For his career, Ortiz has belted 437 homers, just one shy of tying Hall of Famer Andre Lawson and current Cleveland Indians backup designated hitter Jason Giambi for 40^th place on the all-time list.

Chris Capuano was unable to put away the A’s quietly in the ninth. Laden by two errors, the lefty reliever gave up three runs (two earned) without recording a single out.

Koji Uehara came to the rescue for the Red Sox. The 39-year-old closer entered the game with runners on first and second, before giving up a walk to A’s slugger Yoenis Cespedes. The A’s were unable to capitalize on the bases-loaded no-out situation as Uehara buckled down, getting Derek Nooris to ground into a force out at home, before striking out Alberto Callaspo and then retiring Brandon Moss via a line out to right to end the contest. Uehara picked up his seventh save of the season as the Red Sox defeated the club with the most wins in the American league for the second straight day.

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.