MLB LOOK AHEAD

Bogaerts, Red Sox get another crack at A’s

Field Level Media

April 02, 2019 at 8:04 am.

Apr 1, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Nick Hundley (3) tags Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) in a contested call that was upheld in the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Apr 1, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Nick Hundley (3) tags Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) in a contested call that was upheld in the second inning at Oakland Coliseum. Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

Freshly re-signed Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts takes another crack at one of his nemeses, right-hander Mike Fiers, when the Red Sox and the Athletics continue their four-game series Tuesday night in Oakland, Calif.

Bogaerts was the star of the show even before taking the field Monday for Boston’s 7-0 loss to the A’s. The Red Sox announced at a pregame press conference that he had agreed to a six-year, $120 million contract extension.

The 26-year-old then lashed a double and a single for the Red Sox, who totaled just two other hits in their fourth loss in five games this season.

At least they know who their shortstop is going to be for the foreseeable future.

“I finally just said, ‘I want to stay here. What’s not to like?'” Bogaerts said at a press conference that was attended by at least a dozen of his teammates. “I knew what I wanted to do.”

Now what he’d like to do is finally get a hit off Fiers, against whom he’s gone 0-for-7 in his career with four strikeouts.

All of those at-bats came before Fiers was acquired by the A’s from the Detroit Tigers last August.

Bogaerts isn’t the only member of the Red Sox who has struggled against Oakland’s ace. Fiers has a 2-0 career record and 1.99 ERA in four head-to-head meetings with Boston, three as a starter.

Fiers faced the Red Sox once last season as a member of the Tigers, pitching the first 6 1/3 innings of a 5-0 win. He allowed seven hits in the July 21 outing.

He will be opposed Tuesday by Red Sox ace Chris Sale, who is hoping to fare a whole lot better than in his Opening Day debacle at Seattle.

The left-hander lasted just three innings that day, bombed for two home runs by Tim Beckham and a third by Edwin Encarnacion among seven total runs.

Sale has pitched well against the A’s in his career, going 6-3 with a 2.78 in 15 meetings, including 10 starts. He’s 1-2 with a 2.72 ERA in seven games (five starts) at Oakland.

He will have to deal with Oakland’s hot-hitting shortstop Marcus Semien, who extended his season-opening hitting streak to seven games with a third-inning double off Red Sox starter David Price in the series-opening win.

Semien is hitting .385.

While the Red Sox were celebrating the news regarding their shortstop before the Monday game, A’s manager Bob Melvin took the opportunity to compare his shortstop favorably.

“Both do a little bit of everything,” Melvin said. “Both have some power, both are real consistent shortstops, both have the ability to run a little bit and steal some bases. They’re both versatile where they can hit in the order.”

Semien is slated to earn $5.9 million this season. He is one of the few A’s who have had success against Sale in the past, homering twice among four hits in 12 career at-bats.

Sale has had no such trouble with A’s slugger Khris Davis, holding him to a homer-less 2-for-15. Davis belted his fifth home run of the season Monday, a second-inning solo shot off Price.

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