=== Oakland Athletics Team Report - September 8 ===

(My Sportsbook) - Two of the hottest pitchers in the American League take the hill tonight, as Boston's Pedro Martinez battles Tim Hudson and the Oakland Athletics in the finale of a three-game series at the Coliseum.

Hudson has won four straight starts and is solidifying his role as the go-to guy in the A's rotation. Hudson is 4-0 with a 2.07 ERA in his last four outings and picked up a win last Friday in Toronto. He yielded four runs and eight hits in seven innings of action against the Blue Jays.

Hudson lost his first game back from the disabled list in Minnesota on August 7, but has been undefeated in five starts since then.

The 29-year-old Hudson has struggled in his career against the Red Sox, going 3-4 with a 4.81 ERA in seven contests.

The Red Sox remained hot with Tuesday's victory at the Coliseum. Gabe Kapler went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and finished with three RBI and Kevin Millar ended 3-for-3 with a homer, walk and three runs scored in Boston's 7-1 win.

Eric Byrnes had two hits for Oakland, which has lost three straight and now leads the AL West by just 1 1/2 games over Anaheim.

Boston has won seven of eight meetings with Oakland this season. Since the start of last season, the Red Sox are 10-5 against the A's, including a 4-2 record in Oakland. The Red Sox also defeated Oakland in five games in last year's American League Division Series.