After winning the World Series in 2007 and coming within a game of another AL pennant last year, the Red Sox (2-5) haven't looked like a championship-caliber team to start this season.

While the club's beleaguered starting rotation has a 5.66 ERA, Boston's bats are hitting just .235 after struggling in Monday night's 8-2 loss in Oakland.

Kevin Youkilis homered and doubled and is hitting .519, but he's the only Red Sox regular off to a good start at the plate. Reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia is hitting .179, David Ortiz is still looking for his first extra-base hit and Mike Lowell is 4-for-26 (.154) as he tries to rebound from hip surgery.

The struggles have added up to Boston's worst start since a 2-12 opening to the 1996 season, and Matsuzaka's first outing didn't help.

Coming off a season in which he lost three times in 29 starts, Matsuzaka (0-1, 6.75 ERA) suffered his first defeat of 2009 in his season debut, allowing four runs on three home runs in a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Japanese right-hander struggled with efficiency, throwing 100 pitches in 5 1-3 innings and walking three.

"Right now, not being able to go deep in games is stressful, both for myself and the bullpen," Matsuzaka told his team's official Web site.

He went 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in three outings against Oakland last year, but averaged fewer than six innings in those starts despite giving up just eight total hits.

The A's (3-4) attempted to upgrade their offense in the offseason, and though they've were shut out twice in the season's first week, they scored five runs in the second inning off Boston's Jon Lester on Monday.

Newcomers Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi each drove in a pair of runs, while former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra hit his first home run as a member of the A's in his first-ever game against Boston.

During his ninth season with the Red Sox in 2004, Garciaparra was traded away at the deadline.

"It was just the strangest thing," Garciaparra said. "The last time I saw (Jason) Varitek behind the plate like that was in an intrasquad game a long time ago. It just felt weird."

After Dallas Braden stymied the Red Sox in the series opener, Dana Eveland - another young left-hander - will try for a similar result. Eveland (0-0, 4.50) gave up three runs in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, in a game the A's won 6-4 by scoring all their runs in the final two innings.

"I kept the team in the game, which is obviously the goal," Eveland said. "With the team we have this year, you just get back on the mound, throw strikes, get as deep into the game as I possibly can, and let our big bats go to work."

Eveland was unable to do that in his lone previous start against the Red Sox. He gave up nine runs in two-plus innings at Fenway Park last Aug. 2, allowing home runs to Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis in Boston's 12-2 win.

The Red Sox have lost four straight and 11 of 14 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.