BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox failed in their bid for a second winning streak of 10 or more games in the same season, losing to the Athletics 7-3 on Saturday.
Boston recorded a franchise record-tying 15-game winning stretch, matching a mark from 1946, before it was stopped on July 22. The team's attempt for a second streak of 10 or more games for the first time in the franchise's 126-year history fell short against the A's.
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Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump throws during the second inning of a baseball game vs. the Boston Red Sox , Saturday Aug 8, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox's Willson Contreras sits in the dugout after he grounded out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran walks into the dugout after striking out in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett reacts after giving up a run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Gage Jump worked six strong innings, Tyler Soderstrom and Henry Bolte hit solo homers, and Jonah Heim and Donovan Walton added two-run doubles for the Athletics, who snapped a nine-game skid. The A's hadn’t won since beating the Red Sox at home on July 28.
Jump (5-7) struck out a season-high 11 and allowed two runs and six hits.
Andruw Monasterio had a two-run single in the first inning for the Red Sox, whose nine-game run started the day after Jump earned a victory by pitching six scoreless innings.
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras returned after missing two games with an illness, went 0 for 4 and was booed for jogging lightly on a ground out.
The Athletics' bullpen, which entered with the majors’ highest ERA (5.64), allowed one run in the last three innings. Hogan Harris got the last four outs for his 10th save.
The Athletics erased a two-run deficit with a run in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in sixth.
Boston's Jake Bennett (7-5) breezed through the first three innings, allowing only a walk. He was pulled with one out in the sixth and charged with four runs.
Brian Serven’s RBI single cut the Athletics' deficit in half before Heim’s two-run single in the fifth put them ahead. Walton’s pinch-hit ground-rule double off reliever Justin Slaten into Boston’s bullpen added two more runs in the sixth.
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson matched the MLB record of 110 straight games without committing an error at the position. He is tied with the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Bordick (2002).
Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (8-6, 3.51 ERA) will start Sunday. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Athletics starting pitcher Gage Jump throws during the second inning of a baseball game vs. the Boston Red Sox , Saturday Aug 8, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox's Willson Contreras sits in the dugout after he grounded out in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran walks into the dugout after striking out in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett reacts after giving up a run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Athletics, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026 in Boston. (AP Photo/Jim Davis)
CHICAGO (AP) — DiJonai Carrington of the Chicago Sky was ejected Saturday after being called for a Flagrant 2 foul on Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. Minutes later, Carrington posted on social media the words “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and tagged the Fever.
Cunningham, who is white, was shooting a fast-break layup in the first quarter when Carrington, who is Black, came from behind and hit her in the head and neck, knocking her to the court as the shot went in.
Cunningham said she thought the foul in the 90-86 Indiana win was “absolutely” intentional.
“Clearly I think it was unnecessary,” Cunningham said. “I’ve never really spoken to her and I have no beef with her, but I guess she has some pent up stuff.”
Fever coach Stephanie White had a different view of the play.
“It was a hard foul,” White said. “I don’t think that DiJonai intentionally came out to get her across the neck like she did, but it did happen, and I thought it was the right call.”
Cunningham got up immediately, charged toward Carrington and pushed her as she was held back by a teammate.
“I popped up,” Cunningham said. “I’m not going to let anyone just do that to me. I think everyone knows that. I think that’s why she did it because she wants attention.”
The play was reviewed and upgraded to a Flagrant 2 after the referee said there was windup, impact and follow-through on the foul.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh said he hadn't seen a replay of the play, but that seeing it live, he thought Carrington was making a play on the ball and that he didn't believe it warranted a Flagrant 2 foul.
“I haven’t looked at that play since, so I really don’t know if it was justified or not,” he said. “But, that’s what I thought in the moment.”
Marsh was then asked about Carrington's social media post.
“I have to get back to you on that because I’m just now hearing about that,” he said. “So yeah, we’ll handle that.”
But Cunningham had plenty to say about the post.
“I think the league is taking care of that,” she said. "This has nothing to do with race. Last year, I did the same thing and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There’s no reason even to play that card.”
In the third quarter, Fever star Caitlin Clark was assessed a technical foul after she made contact with a referee when she was forced out of bounds. The technical was Clark's eighth of the season, triggering a one-game suspension for Indiana's next game if not rescinded by the league.
“She said I ran into her,” Clark said in a postgame television interview. “I’ve already watched it on the tape, so we’ll let the league decide. But it wasn’t intentional or anything, so I’m hoping it’s getting rescinded,”
A few hours after the game Clark got her way. The WNBA rescinded the technical foul.
Cunningham has frequently come to Clark's defense after physical play by opponents and has become one of the higher-profile players in the league this season. In an ESPN article published last month, she voiced support for barring transgender girls and women from girls’ and women’s sports, which led to small protests and rallies outside Fever games in Seattle and Portland.
In a memo to teams on Friday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league would have ongoing discussions about the issue of transgender participation in women's basketball.
Marsh said that the controversy surrounding Cunningham didn't add anything extra to the game.
“We didn’t come into this one with any more or less juice than we’ve had in the last four since the All-Star break," he said. "Our mindset is trying to win games.”
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark reacts after being called for a foul during the second half of an WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham reacts while talking to the Chicago Sky bench after being fouled during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Sky's DiJonai Carrington walks off the court ejected from the game for committing a flagrant foul against Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham claps as Chicago Sky's DiJonai Carrington is ejected from the game after committing a flagrant foul against her during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Chicago Sky's DiJonai Carrington, back, stares down Indiana Fever's Sophie Cunningham (8) after committing a flagrant foul against Cunningham and before she was ejected from the game during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Chicago, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
