OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Red Sox had their best bunter, Nick Punto, at the plate in the top of the ninth inning Tuesday as they tried to add to a one-run lead against the Oakland Athletics.

With two on and nobody out, the Sox looked poised to score for the first time since the fourth inning.

But Punto’s bunt attempt popped into the air. It didn’t get very high, but it shot out toward first base where Oakland first baseman Chris Carter was charging hard. Carter went into a half dive and made the catch.

Mike Aviles was caught in no man’s land. Dancing halfway between first and second, he tried in vein to scramble back to first. Even with Carter’s flip to second baseman Jemile Weeks, who was covering first, sailing high, there wasn’t enough time for Aviles to avoid the double play.

In an instant, the Sox had two outs with only a runner at second left aboard.

“That’s where the game was lost,” Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. “Can’t bunt into a double play there. It’s simple. We’ve got our best bunter on the team. He’s got to be able get the bunt down and get the guys over.”

Boston still had a runner in scoring position in Ryan Kalish, who led off the ninth with a single and moved up on Aviles’ walk. Leadoff hitter Daniel Nava was at the plate.

Kalish tried to get 90 feet closer to home and got a good jump in his attempt to steal third. But Oakland’s Brandon Inge blocked the base and Kalish was called out to end the inning.

“He had it stolen easily,” Valentine said. “The base was blocked and he couldn’t get in there. Good play on their part, bad play on ours.”

Kalish thought he was safe.

“He had his leg in front of the bag so I think that’s what (the umpire) saw, but I think I got in there,” Kalish said.

Boston’s potential rally was spoiled in a matter of three pitches, then Oakland scored twice in the ninth off Red Sox closer Alfredo Aceves to get the 3-2 win.

Punto wasn’t making excuses for his failed bunt.

“That’s a standard play, just got to get the bunt down,” Punto said. “Simple execution play that I didn’t get down.”

The bottom of the ninth was shaky from the start.

Aceves allowed a line-drive leadoff single to Carter, but got Inge to foul out to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Cliff Pennington, who entered for the A’s as a defensive replacement in the eighth, singled in his first at-bat of the game. Brandon Moss pinch-hit for Kurt Suzuki and grounded a single up the middle.

Kalish charged hard hoping to have a play at the plate. Instead, the ball went off his glove and got past him. Carter scored the tying run and the A’s had runners at second and third with one out.

Coco Crisp, who led off the game for Oakland with a home run, fouled off the first three pitches from Aceves before lofting a fly ball to center that was deep enough to easily score Pennington with the game-winner.

Aceves quietly dressed and left the clubhouse without speaking reporters.

The ninth inning spoiled great outings by starting pitcher Jon Lester and reliever Vicente Padilla.

Lester matched a season-high with nine strikeouts and allowed just one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings. He delivered only zeroes after Crisp’s leadoff homer.

Padilla was excellent in both the seventh and eighth innings. He took over for Lester with two on and two outs in the seventh and struck out pinch-hitter Seth Smith to end the inning.

In the eighth, Aviles let a line drive by Suzuki deflect off his glove for an error. Crisp singled, and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Weeks. But after an intentional walk to Josh Reddick to load the bases, Padilla struck out Yoenis Cespedes and Jonny Gomes swinging to end the inning.

“Padilla was great. Jonny Lester was really good,” Valentine said. “Those are good things. I like the good things.”