Athletics 4, Red Sox 2: Brandon McCarthy held Boston to one run over 6 2/3 innings, Seth Smith drove in a pair and Brian Fuentes earned his 200th career save to help Oakland win the rubber match of its three-game series at Fenway Park.

The Athletics had lost eight of nine in Boston before winning the final two games of the series.

McCarthy (2-3) notched his third straight quality start and won his second straight outing. He held the American League's highest-scoring team without a run through six innings before surrendering one when Marlon Byrd's sacrifice fly plated rookie Will Middlebrooks in the seventh.

The Red Sox loaded the bases after McCarthy left in the seventh, but reliever Ryan Cook struck out Adrian Gonzalez to end the threat and preserve the three-run lead.

With closer Grant Balfour getting the night off, Fuentes allowed an RBI double to Dustin Pedroia in the ninth before getting Gonzalez to ground out for his milestone save. He became the sixth left-hander with at least 200 saves, joining John Franco, Billy Wagner, Randy Myers, Dave Righetti and Sparky Lyle.

Smith got the Athletics on the board with an RBI single in the fourth and added an RBI double in the three-run sixth. Kila Ka'aihue and Brandon Inge also had RBI doubles in the sixth.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Red Sox placed 3B Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list with a stiff back and called up Middlebrooks, who went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk and a stolen base in his major-league debut. … Athletics OF Josh Reddick went 1-for-4 with a single to extend his hitting streak to seven games, the longest by an Oakland player this season. … Oakland C Kurt Suzuki was hit in the left hand by a Bard pitch in the sixth inning but remained in the game. … Inge, who was signed Monday after being released by Detroit, had his first extra-base hit and first RBI with Oakland.