Oakland, CA (My Sportsbook) - Jason Giambi and Matt Holliday knocked in two runs apiece, as the Oakland Athletics crushed the Boston Red Sox, 8-2, in the opener of a three-game set at Oakland Coliseum.

Nomar Garciaparra and Jack Cust each stroked a solo homer for the A's, who snapped a three-game slide. Orlando Cabrera and Bobby Crosby also knocked in a run each in the win.

Dallas Braden (1-1) took the win after going six-plus innings and yielding two runs on six hits.

Kevin Youkilis had a solo homer for the Red Sox, who dropped their second straight game and fell to 2-5 on the season. David Ortiz drove in the other run for Boston.

Jon Lester (0-2) was saddled with the loss as he gave up six runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work.

"Yeah, it's frustrating," Lester said of the loss. "I don't know what else to tell you."

Boston got on the board first, as Youkilis led the second inning off with a homer to left field.

Oakland, though, rallied to take a 5-1 lead in the home portion. Cust led off with a homer before Kurt Suzuki singled and Crosby was hit by a pitch. Rajai Davis was caught looking at a third strike and Ryan Sweeney followed suit. Cabrera kept the rally alive with an RBI single and Giambi added a two-run double. Holliday's single knocked in another run with a single and the A's were in command.

"It was nice to get ahead of these guys," said Braden. "They're a patient lineup, a veteran lineup and the more pressure you can put on them early you're going to help yourself."

Garciaparra's solo shot in the fifth made it 6-1, though Ortiz had a single to score Rocco Baldelli in the sixth to make it 6-2.

Holliday had an RBI triple in the seventh and then the home team took an 8-2 lead in the eighth. Cust drew a leadoff walk off Takashi Saito to start the frame, Suzuki followed with a double and Crosby flied out to right to plate Cust.

Game Notes

Lester has faced the A's seven times in his career and is 2-3...Braden lost his only other start to the Red Sox, as he gave up four runs and six hits in just 3 1/3 frames...Boston won six of its 10 meetings with A's last season and is 9-5 in its last 14 against them...Prior to the game, the Red Sox placed shortstop Jed Lowrie on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left wrist. To replace Lowrie on the roster, infielder Gil Velazquez was called up.