Boston's American League club embarked on its series of Western games this eve under discouraging conditions by succumbing to the Oaklands and their sharp sticks. Over 29,000 "rooters" saw the melancholy culmination of the Bostons' seven-game spotless streak. Wakefield's famed floater failed to fluster the Frisco Bay batsmen, who knocked two dongs out of the field of play in fair territory, and eight Oakland men reached the home plate before the reigns were handed to Aardsma and Timlin.

Harden's display was two steps above that of the Boston lofter, the former zipping strikes past the Beantown unit like a man in a hurry to arrive home to peruse his personal information-gathering device. The game concluded in under two hours and a half, with Oakland doing five runs better than the Hub gang. Against the Oaktowners' relief crew, the pilgrims were powerless, and fate handed them a defeat for the first time since Wednesday last, in weather hardly suitable for shirtsleeves.

Ol' Thomas drove out a home run in the opening frame on the first lob he witnessed from his veteran colleague, giving the Northern Californians a lead they wouldn't relinquish for the duration. Ellis plated himself and two others on a fence-traverser in a four-plate third inning, removing much of the remainder of Boston's fight. A dozen Red Sox were dispensed on strikes in the fair contest, ten of those swinging ineffectually on try number three. The Athletics justly deserved the victory as their hits were pieced together in a constructive manner and all their runs were earned.

Pedroia rang the dong bell for Francona's men, and lumber lessoneer Magadan was expunged from the dugout after foul-mouthing the official. Boston remains in first position and tries again in California behind fireballer Beckett to-morrow.

The league's east division scores:

NY-A 13, Seattle 2. Tampa 2, Balt. 0. T'ronto 7, Ks. City 2..