OAKLAND -- Boston starter Kason Gabbard looked very uncomfortable on the mound when he was pitching to the Oakland leadoff hitter, Jason Kendall.

Gabbard walked Kendall on four pitches, and after each one he tried to knock dirt out of his cleats, scraping them on a mat at the back of the mound.

After the base on balls, catcher Javy Lopez went out to talk to the rookie left-hander. They called plate umpire Jim Joyce to the mound, and Joyce checked out the dirt where Garbbard landed in his delivery.

Then third-base umpire Dana DeMuth, the crew chief, was brought into the conference, and DeMuth called for the grounds crew. One member brought out a rake and they scraped the dirt. Gabbard threw a pitch after the landscaping was completed with the crowd hooting at him, and the game continued after a two-minute delay.

Oakland starter Esteban Loaiza wasn't happy with the mound as he warmed up for the second inning. So once again the grounds crew was called out to rake the dirt.

The Oakland Raiders play football at the Coliseum, and when they do, the mound is removed. The Raiders played a game here last Friday, so the mound was put back in place over the weekend, but apparently it was not up to par.

Hinske flashes some leather Eric Hinske has not been an outfielder for very long.

With Toronto, Hinske was a third baseman who was moved over to play some first base. This year, though, the Blue Jays were overloaded with corner infielders, so Hinske was shuttled out to the outfield to give it a try.

It's not likely that Hinske will win a Gold Glove out there, but he came to Gabbard's rescue in the first inning by covering a lot of ground and robbing Milton Bradley of an extra-base hit with a lunging, backhanded grab of a drive to right-center with a runner at first and one out in the first inning.

The smile on Hinske's face after he threw the ball into the infield seemed to indicate he surprised himself with the snow-cone catch.

It was Hinske's second superlative catch in as many games. He robbed Seattle's Rene Rivera of extra bases with a diving catch near the right-field line after a long run.

On offense, Hinske dunked a single to center in the second. He had been 1-for-22 since beginning his Red Sox career with three straight doubles in his debut on Aug. 18.

Third time a charm If at first you don't succeed, keep on trying.

That seems to be the motto for Boston shortstop Alex Cora.

Twice earlier on this trip, Cora made a diving stops up the middle and then, while prone on the dirt, tried to flip the ball to second for a forceout. He was unsuccessful both times, once shoveling the ball wildly, permitting a run to score.

He was more successful last night. With runners at first and second and one out, Cora stole a potential run-scoring single from Jay Payton with a diving stop of Payton's grounder. While on his stomach, Cora flipped the ball out of his glove on one hop to Dustin Pedroia at second base for the inning-ending forceout.

Strategy fails The Red Sox, as a rule, do not put on many hit-and-runs or straight steals.

But with the lineup watered down because of injuries and illness, manager Terry Francona tried to generate some offense by starting Hinske off first base on a 2-and-1 pitch to Mike Lowell.

Lowell hit a bouncer up the middle that was fielded by Mark Ellis, who threw to first for the out. Hinske, though, was in scoring position at second base with two outs. But Lopez flied to right for the final out, stranding Hinske.

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340