Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Jed Lowrie's infield single in the bottom of the 12th inning drove in the winning run as Boston slipped by Oakland, 2-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

A's reliever Alan Embree (1-4) retired the first two batters in the 12th, but Jason Bay slammed a high arcing ball off the Green Monster in left-center and scurried all the way to third thanks to a generous bounce.

J.D. Drew was walked intentionally, but Lowrie bounced a ball behind second. A's shortstop Bobby Crosby fielded it cleanly but double-clutched and Lowrie arrived at first before the throw, scoring Bay.

"Crosby was coming in full speed and it was a close play at first," said A's manager Bob Geren. "It was a tough play. You've got to come in. It was just perfectly placed. "It's hard to get frustrated when you played as good as you did. I'm really proud of the guys."

Lowrie drove in both runs for the Red Sox, who snapped a three-game slide in their first game of the post-Manny Ramirez era. The enigmatic slugger was dealt to the Dodgers in a three-team deal on Thursday which netted Bay from Pittsburgh.

"We won a game we desperately tried to win," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "Everybody gave everything they had. We didn't have a lot to show for it. Neither team, offensively, was doing a whole lot but because we're home and because our guys pitched, we gave ourselves a chance."

In his Red Sox debut, Bay finished 1-for-3 and scored twice. Mike Timlin (4-3) got the win by hurling a scoreless inning in relief. Starter Tim Wakefield scattered four hits over 6 1/3 scoreless frames.

Jack Cust homered for the Athletics, who have dropped seven of their last eight games. Justin Duchscherer did not get a decision, but allowed just five hits and one run in six full frames.

The Sox got on the board in the second as Bay walked with one out, went to third on a Drew double and scored on a Lowrie sacrifice fly.

Wakefield and Duchscherer threw goose-eggs from that point on, and each bullpen followed suit.

Cust finally forged a tie, solving the usually dependable Hideki Okajima with a two-out solo homer in the eighth which landed just over the Monster.

Boston had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, but Brad Ziegler got Dustin Pedroia on an easy fly out to center which pushed the game into extra innings.

The Sox loaded the bases against Huston Street in the 10th but failed to score as Lowrie flew out to center.