This will be a tough game for the Red Sox to win, as they played Thursday afternoon at home versus the Royals winning 15-1 in a long game, then boarded a plane across the country to play Friday in Oakland. The As also played Thursday, but at home, so that gives them an edge. The Red Sox are 17-39 in the last 56 meetings in Oakland. The As are excellent at home and they have been very successful against lefties. While Rodriguez was good his last time out vs the Yankees, he has been very inconsistent. Take the As here to win the series opener on Friday night.