OAKLAND, Calif. — Jon Lester pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, David Ortiz broke open a scoreless game with a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 5-0 today.

Kevin Youkilis had a double and a run-scoring single while setting the major league record for consecutive errorless games by a first baseman. The Red Sox defeated the A's for the third time in four games that began last week in Japan.

Jason Varitek added a ninth-inning homer for Boston, which split the pair in Tokyo before taking two at the Coliseum. Relievers Bryan Corey and Manny Delcarmen completed the shutout for the World Series champions, who held the A's to one run in the last two games.

Ortiz was hitless in his first 12 at-bats this season before a fifth-inning single. He followed with a drive over the right-field fence against former Red Sox reliever Alan Embree (0-1) as the A's bullpen wasted Rich Harden's second strong start.

Lester (1-1), who lost his season debut in Japan, didn't allow an Oakland runner to reach second base after the first inning. He retired 10 straight batters before Emil Brown dropped a weak single into right field with two outs in the seventh, and Lester then left to a standing ovation from a crowd made up of roughly 75 percent Red Sox fans.

Lester was matched by Harden, the injury-plagued right-hander who started just four games last year. He yielded four hits and four walks while striking out six and repeatedly escaping trouble in five innings.

Harden and Lester faced each other last month in Tokyo, with Harden getting the win with nine strikeouts in six innings of three-hit ball.

Youkilis played his 194th consecutive mistake-free game at first base to break Steve Garvey's record for errorless games at their position. Youkilis even made a running, over-the-shoulder catch of Bobby Crosby's foul popup to end the seventh.

Dustin Pedroia and Youkilis drove in runs as the Red Sox hit five consecutive singles to lead off the eighth, and Varitek added his first homer of the season off A's closer Huston Street in the ninth.

The Red Sox still aren't done with a 16,000-mile trip that included a weekend of exhibition play in Los Angeles. Boston has a three-game weekend series in Toronto before finally getting back to Fenway Park.

Both teams had early scoring opportunities. Boston loaded the bases with its first three batters, but Harden escaped the first-inning jam with two strikeouts and a popup. Daric Barton then reached third base for Oakland, but couldn't get home.

Notes: Lester is the first Red Sox left-hander to win a game at the Coliseum since May 29, 1995, when Zane Smith beat Dave Stewart. ... Manny Ramirez hit a 399-foot drive to center after Ortiz's homer, but Chris Denorfia leaped to catch it at the fence. Ramirez went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. ... Boston RF J.D. Drew made his season debut, going 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. He hadn't played since his lower back tightened up March 25. ... Garvey set the record with San Diego from June 1983-April 1985.