Oakland righty A.J. Griffin gets his third career look at the Boston Red Sox on Monday night when the Athletics visit them to open a three-game series at Fenway Park.
A 24-year-old Californian, Griffin was drafted in the 13th round in 2010 and debuted with the Athletics in 2012, going 7-1 in 15 starts with a 3.06 earned run average in 82 1/3 innings.
He's continued the momentum through three starts in 2013, opening the season with consecutive defeats of Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before getting a no-decision on April 16 against the Houston.
The Athletics ultimately won that game, 4-3.
In 20 combined innings this season, he's allowed just five runs on 16 hits while holding opponents to a .222 batting average.
In two meetings with Boston last season, Griffin was 1-0 and allowed three runs in 13 innings.
The Red Sox will start Venezuelan lefty Felix Doubront, who'd won twice in 23 big-league outings before breaking through with 11 wins last year.
The 24-year-old tossed a career-high 161 innings after winning two games in 12 appearances in 2010 and none in 11 games in 2011.
This season, he's pitched five innings in a pair of Boston wins, recording the W at Cleveland on April 16 and getting a no-decision at Toronto on April 5.
He's 0-2 in two career starts against Oakland and 6-6 in 27 career appearances at Fenway.
On Sunday at Tampa Bay, Roberto Hernandez tossed six strong innings and earned his first win since 2011, while Yunel Escobar went 3- for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI as the Rays downed the Athletics, 8-1, to sweep a three-game set at Tropicana Field.
Josh Reddick singled in Oakland's lone run, and Coco Crisp and Seth Smith provided the other hits for the Athletics, who were coming off their own three-game sweep of Houston prior to the series versus the Rays.
Starter Tommy Milone (3-1) gave up six runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings in the setback.
"They did an outstanding job of keeping us off-balance all series," Oakland first baseman Brandon Moss said.
In Boston, Lorenzo Cain's bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning scored Alex Gordon with the deciding run as Kansas City took a 5-4 decision in the back end of a doubleheader to end a four-game series.
Mike Napoli homered among his three hits and drove in two runs for the Red Sox, who had won seven in a row prior to Sunday. Dustin Pedroia added two hits and an RBI in defeat.
Andrew Miller (0-1) gave up the lead run in his lone frame on the hill.
Oakland won eight of nine games with the Red Sox last season, a year after Boston took six of eight games in the series.
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