OAKLAND, Calif. — Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis hit first-inning homers to spoil Hector Velazquez's major league debut and the Oakland Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox 8-3 on Thursday night.

Chad Pinder added a homer in the fourth inning against Velazquez (0-1), who had a rough first start after spending his first seven years as a pro in the Mexican League.

Sonny Gray (1-1) overcame a shaky beginning to get the win in his 100th career start. After allowing two runs in a 31-pitch first, Gray settled down and gave up just one more run the rest of the way, while striking out eight in six innings.

Staked to a 2-0 lead before taking the mound in his major league debut, Velazquez fell behind just four batters into the game when he allowed a two-run homer to Lowrie and a solo shot by Davis for Oakland's first back-to-back homers of the season.