Manager Ken Macha had praised the relievers for their recent success and said that they were the main reason for the team having a winning road trip.

But the bullpen has been thrown a huge workload since the All-Star break with the A's starters going six or more innings just three times.

On Tuesday, the task rose again for the 'pen after starter Jason Windsor was relieved during the third inning. This time the bullpen didn't keep the game close as they surrendered nine runs and the A's lost, 13-5, to Boston on Tuesday at McAfee Coliseum.

Despite their third straight loss, the A's stayed tied for first place in the West with the Angels, after both Los Angeles and Texas (a half-game back) lost.

The game was close during the first seven innings, but everything fell apart during the eighth as Justin Duchscherer and Brad Halsey were each charged with three runs.

"We have been using the bullpen quite a bit lately," Macha said. "We had the guy we wanted in the eighth inning."

The mess started after Duchscherer gave up consecutive singles with one out to Mark Loretta and David Ortiz. The right-hander then walked Manny Ramirez on six pitches and two of the pitches were very close to catching the corner of the plate.

Duchscherer -- who is known for being a calm player -- wasn't happy with not getting called strikes and decided to let home-plate umpire Mark Wegner have it after he was taken out following the walk.

Wegner quickly ejected Duchscherer and the right-hander said after the game that the umpire was favoring Ramirez during the at-bat.

"You can't be intimated by who is at the plate and who we're playing," Duchscherer said. "If you're going to call it for me, you have to call if for everybody. I don't care if it is Curt Schilling or Randy Johnson, we have to get the same call."

"I said my peace [to the umpire] and that was that. In the end of the game, I want to win."

Reliever Chad Gaudin said that after the game that the Ramirez at-bat could have changed the outcome if it went the other way.

"He made a couple of really good pitches," Gaudin said. "Duke has great command of pitches, for him to argue must have meant that he thought pitches were strikes."

After the ejection, Halsey walked in a run and gave up three consecutives hits, including a three-run double to Jason Varitek.

"It was like an avalanche," Macha said.

The ninth inning didn't get any better as Scott Sauerbeck left after walking two and plunking Trot Nixon. Macha said after the game that the lefty hurt his groin.

The A's used five relievers during the night and Macha said he might need to bring in another arm for Wednesday's day game.

Before the troublesome eighth, Oakland had scored three runs in the fifth inning and had a chance to take the lead in the seventh.

After Mark Kotsay hit an RBI single to make it 6-5, the A's had runners on first and second with no outs. After Milton Bradley flied to right, the A's RBI leaders this season -- Frank Thomas and Nick Swisher -- each struck out swinging.

The A's were put in another early hole by Windsor, who left after 71 pitches.

Windsor, who was making his second career start, allowed the leadoff runner to get on four times in five innings during his first start and made the same mistake during the first inning against the hot-hitting Red Sox.

The first four batters reached base against the right-hander and it led to two runs and 31 pitches in the first inning.

In the third, Windsor gave up his first Major League homer to Ramirez on a 1-2 pitch and then proceeded to give up his second to Nixon three pitches later.

"He's still got some work to do," Macha said. "He didn't work really fast out there. That was a tough lineup to go against when you're a young pitcher."