01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, May 17, 2005

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

OAKLAND -- Opportunity knocked -- repeatedly -- last night, but the Red Sox never answered the door.

They failed to take advantage of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the third, then couldn't cash in when they had runners at second and third and no out in the seventh. In all, they stranded 13 runners, matching a season high and in so doing, lost to the Oakland A's 6-4.

The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak the Sox had built against the A's, dating back to last May, while Oakland halted their own eight-game losing streak which pre-dated their visit to Boston last week. The defeat dropped the Sox to 1-3 on their West Coast swing, meaning they'll need to win the final two break even on the trip.

Boston's chances presented themselves right up to the final out in the ninth, when the A's embattled closer Octavio Dotel faced Bill Mueller with the potential tying run in scoring position. But, twice burned last week at Fenway when he surrendered walk-off homers in consecutive days, Dotel got Mueller to fly to left, preserving the win.

"We got ourselves in good position," lamented manager Terry Francona, "but we couldn't get that one big hit at the right time to get the big inning."

The Sox came from behind to tie the game in the seventh, riding a two-run double from David Ortiz to pull even at 4-4. But with Edgar Renteria on third and Ortiz at second, Oakland rookie reliever Keiichi Yabu struck out Manny Ramirez. After an intentional walk to Trot Nixon, he struck out Jason Varitek, too, then got Kevin Youkilis to hit into an inning-ending force play.

With Bronson Arroyo done after seven innings and 104 pitches, Mike Myers yielded a leadoff single Eric Chavez, then couldn't cleanly glove broken-bat comebacker from Erubiel Durazo, giving the A's two on and no out.

"I broke his bat, but he hit to the right spot," said Myers, who was saddled with the loss. "It rolled away from me and I couldn't make the play. I couldn't get a good grip on the ball."

Mike Timlin came in, and following a sacrifice bunt by Keith Ginter which moved both baserunners into scoring position, gave an intentional walk to Scott Hatteberg to fill the bases. The move backfired when rookie Matt Watson singled to right, scoring two.

Arroyo had cruised through the first four innings, giving no hint of the trouble he would find himself in in the fifth when Oakland scored four times.Hatteberg (single) and Watson (double) were at second and third when Arroyo got Marco Scutaro to ground to third for the first out. But Arroyo compounded things by hitting No. 9 hitter Charles Thomas in the leg with a breaking ball, loading the bases.

Mark Kotsay then drove a bases-clearing triple off the wall in right, scoring three. The Sox pulled the infield in and got what they wanted when Jason Kendall grounded to short. But Edgar Renteria juggled the ball just long enough to allow Kotsay to break for the plate with the fourth run.

Arroyo had retired 10 of the first 11 hitters he faced, striking out a batter in each of the first three inngs. A two-out single by Hatteberg resulted in the only baserunner against him until Eric Chavez sliced an opposite-field double with one out in the fourth.

Even then, Arroyo didn't buckle. He got Erubiel Durazo to pop to Mark Bellhorn in shallow right, then got out of the inning by retiring Keith Ginter on a groundout to third.

Leading 2-0 in the fourth, the Sox had a chance to add to their lead, but couldn't.

Three consecutive singles by Jason Varitek, Youkilis and Mueller loaded the bases with no out. But Bellhorn and Johnny Damon fanned and Edgar Renteria flied to center, stranding three.

The Sox had taken advantage of some command probles by starter Kirk Saarloos to grab a 2-0 lead in the second.

With two outs and Trot Nixon (single) on first, Saarlook walked Youkilis and hit Mueller loading the bases.

Bellhorn, who came into the night hitting just .160 (4-for-25) with runners in scoring position, drilled a single to center, scoring Nixon and Youkilis as Mueller took second.

Saarloos then fanned Damon to get out of further trouble.