Athletics Drop First Game Against Baltimore 5-2

The Baltimore Orioles Gunnar Henderson is seeing double after hitting a third inning double against the Oakland A’s at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Fri Sep 3, 2022 (AP News photo)

Athletics Drop First Game Against Baltimore 5-2

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland Athletics (49-84) took on the Baltimore Orioles (70-61) Friday night in a three game series at Oriole Park. Oakland is coming off a three game series with the Nationals only winning one of the three.

The A’s took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the tenth inning in game three in that series only to let it slip away when Joey Meneses homered driving in two runners and that was the ball game 7-5 on Wednesday.

Friday night Oakland sent JP Sears to the mound in the hopes of getting back on track. Sears has a 5-1 win/loss record and a 2.28 ERA. Baltimore is in fourth place in the American League East with a 69-61 record in a tough division. They sent Dean Kremer to the mound with a 3.22 ERA in tonight’s game.

The Orioles are coming off winning a series in Cleveland over the Guardians. Baltimore took an early third inning 2-0 lead. Robinson Chirinos doubled driving in Gunnar Henderson. Ryan Newcastle singled driving in Henderson for the two runs.

Oakland answered in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded Tony Kemp singled driving in Dermis Garcia and Vimael Machin to tie up the game 2-2.

This game would remained tied into the eighth inning. Baltimore went to work in the bottom of the inning loading the base with one out. Domingo Acevedo walked Adler Rutschman and Anthony Santander scored giving Baltimore back the lead 3-2.

The Orioles would add two more runs when Jorge Mateo singled and Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins both scored.

Going into the ninth inning Baltimore had a 5-2 lead. The A’s were three outs away from dropping the first game of this series. Seth Brown singled but that was all that Oakland would get in the ninth. Shea Langliers struck out and Vimael Machin grounded into a double play and that was the ball game.

JP Sears went six innings and allowed 6 hits and two runs with five strikeouts.

In game two of this series the Athletics will send Adam Oller to the mound. He has a 2-6 win/loss record with a 5.66 ERA. The A’s offense will be facing Baltimore pitcher Austin Voth. He has a 4-2 win/loss record and a 4.48 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM PT.