The Red Sox began their critical, 10 game, road trip on the right foot last night in Oakland. Here are a few things I noticed from the boxscore:

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* – Daisuke Matsuzaka has allowed 3 earned runs or fewer in 21 of 27 road starts since the start of the 2008 season (78%). That’s the 4th best percentage by an AL pitcher in that span (min. 25 road starts):

86.0% – Felix Hernandez
83.3% – Cliff Lee
78.1% – Roy Halladay
77.8% – Daisuke Matsuzaka
77.3% – Zack Grienke

That’s some pretty impressive company!

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* – Coming into last night, the Red Sox’ team ERA in Oakland since 2005 was 4.81, 2nd highest among AL teams in that span (Cleveland, 5.86).

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* – Monday’s game was Boston’s 31st one-run game this season, tied with Minnesota and Toronto for the 2nd most such games in the AL (Kansas City has played 32). The Sox are now 16-15 in those games. Last year, Boston played only 39 one-run games (22-17), the 4th fewest in the AL.

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* – The Red Sox had allowed 2+ earned runs in 15 straight games prior to Monday night (June 27 in SF). It was their longest such streak of the season and tied for the 2nd longest such streak by any AL East team this year (Baltimore, 28).

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* – Boston managed only 8 hits, their 6th straight game with 8 or fewer. Their longest such streak since 2000 is 7 games (done 3 times, last in 2006). It was also their 6th straight scoring 4 runs or fewer which is also one short of their longest such streak since 2000 (done 5 times, last time was July, 2009).

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* – Adrian Beltre had his 10th game of the season with 3 or more hits last night and the Sox are 9-1 in those games. Among the 16 players with 10 or more such games, only David Wright’s team (the Mets) have won more often as they are 10-1 when Wright gets 3+ hits. It should be noted that Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria has 9 such games and the Rays have won all 9.

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* – Sox reliever Daniel Bard got the final out in the 8th inning after falling behind 3-0. Going into Monday’s game, Red Sox pitchers had fallen behind 3-0 on 158 batters and retired only 33 of them, allowing a major league worst 1.609 OPS. Bard himself has now fallen behind 3-0 on 20 batters and retired 2 of them (17 walks, 1 hit allowed).

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* – Boston extended their streak with 2+ extra-base hits to 21 games last night, the longest current streak in the majors and four short of the longest of the 2010 season (Cincinnati, 25). The Red Sox have had only two such streaks of 30+ games since 1920: a 33-gamer in 1997 and a 40-gamer in 1998. The all-time longest streak with 2+ EBH is 49 games, by the 1937 Yankees.

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* – The Red Sox have now won 21 of the last 25 games in which David Ortiz has driven in a run, but 3 of those losses have come since June 30.