BOSTON – Brandon McCarthy just followed the blueprint that his rookie teammate provided one night earlier.

McCarthy beat an AL East opponent once again, holding Boston to one run over 62/3 innings as the Oakland Athletics defeated the Red Sox 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Additional Photos

Dustin Pedroia shows his frustration after striking out in the sixth inning against Oakland on Wednesday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox lost 4-2, dropping 2 of 3 to the Athletics. The Associated Press

Cody Ross fails to catch a double off the wall by Oakland’s Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth Wednesday at Fenway Park. Cespedes scored the game’s first run later that inning. The Associated Press

Coming one day after Jarrod Parker held the Red Sox to four hits in 6 2/3 innings for his first big-league win, McCarthy held Boston’s lineup to five hits in his outing.

“If anything, it gives you the confidence that you’re not facing a team that scored a bunch of runs,” McCarthy said of watching his teammate’s success the previous game. “When you see someone go out there, throw strike one, with good location, I think it can give you the confidence that it can be done.”

Seth Smith drove in a pair of runs for Oakland. The A’s, who started the day with the majors’ worst batting average and fewest runs in the AL, took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox.

Oakland moved back to the .500 mark after losing 2 of 3 in Baltimore.

“For us to win two of three shows the resiliency of this club,” A’s Manager Bob Melvin said.

Boston has lost seven of its last eight in Fenway Park.

McCarthy (2-3) walked three and fanned four. He improved to 8-0 with a 3.34 ERA since 2009 against AL East clubs.

Brian Fuentes gave up Dustin Pedroia’s RBI double in the ninth, but got his first save. He became the sixth lefty in major league history to collect his 200th career save.

After losing his job as the closer last summer, Fuentes couldn’t remember when he collected his last one.

“I was stuck on 199 for a long time,” Fuentes said, smiling. “We had a comfortable lead and the game played out well.”

Daniel Bard (2-3) took the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks, recalled earlier in the day when Kevin Youkilis was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained lower back, went 2 for 3 with a double and a stolen base in his first major league game.

Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez struck out with the bases loaded to close the seventh and bounced out to end the game. He went 0 for 4 and is hitless for his last 15 at-bats.

“This game is all on me. I had two great opportunities and I didn’t come through,” he said. “It’s one of those things that I’m going to make a definite point to not let that happen again.”

David Ortiz went 2 for 4 and is hitting .488 in Fenway, but it did little to help Boston’s offense with Gonzalez struggling in front of him.

“I think he’s just tired,” Boston Manager Bobby Valentine said of Gonzalez. “He’s played the entire time and his timing recognition of the strike zone is just a little off.”

Bard breezed through the first three innings, allowing only Cliff Pennington’s first-inning single and a walk in each of the next two before the A’s grabbed a 1-0 lead on Smith’s RBI single in the fourth.

They took advantage of left fielder Cody Ross misplaying Smith’s RBI double in the sixth, scored three runs and chased Bard to open a 4-0 edge.

Smith lofted a fly near the corner that Ross overran, and the ball bounced on the track behind him. Kila Ka’aihue followed with a double into the right-field corner and, after Bard hit Kurt Suzuki on the left hand, Brandon Inge had an RBI double.

NOTES: Valentine said Josh Beckett would miss his next start Saturday because of soreness in his right side, and Aaron Cook would be placed on the roster and pitch in his place.

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