Chris Bassitt made his 2019 season debut on the mound for the Oakland Athletics on Monday night and everything went Bassitt’s way. Bassitt worked five scoreless innings giving up just two hits while striking out seven Texas batters and walking four. That was good enough for him to earn his first win of the season.
Bassitt got some help from his friends in the Oakland bullpen. Ryan Dull who was just called up from Triple-A Las Vegas struck out two batters and allowed just one run in 1.1 innings of work in relief.
J.B. Wendelken, Joakim Soria, and Fernando Rodney combined to work 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to close out the game for Oakland to ensure the win for Bassitt.
The A’s scored first
Oakland put the first run up on the board when Stephen Piscotty hit his fourth home run of the season over the centerfield wall in the second inning.
Matt Chapman gave the A’s a 2-0 lead when he drove Josh Phegley home with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.
The A’s added two more runs in the home half of the sixth and eighth innings to raise their final total to six runs.
The Rangers scored their only run in the top of the seventh inning.
In the spotlight
A’s (12-13)
Rodney in appearance #907 Photo: @Athletics
Stephen Piscotty had a 2-for-3 game that included a home run and three RBI. He extended his hitting streak against the Rangers to 15 games.
Chad Pinder went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the game. Pinder is batting .354 (17-for-48) in 17 games in the month of April.
Fernando Rodney passed Cy Young for 24th on the all-time list of pitching appearances by taking the mound for the 907th time in his career.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the A’s.
Texas (12-9)
Shin-Soo Chin has reached base safely in the first inning of the last 10 games he has been the Texas leadoff hitter.
Danny Santana has a hit in six of his first eight games with the Rangers since being called up from Triple-A on April 13.
Mike Minor (2-2) took the loss working six innings giving up four runs (all earned) off four hits including one home run. He struck out four and walked three.
Up Next
Tuesday night the Rangers will send RHP Lance Lynn (2-1, 4.44) to the hill to face off against Frankie Montas (3-1, 2.70). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:07 PM.
Detroit — The Oakland Athletics have been the worst road team in all of baseball several times this season. They have been strong defenders of their home field, but the road has been their nemesis. Since a major league team plays 81 of their 162 games on the road, learning to win in the other guy’s park is mandatory.
The Athletics embarked on this nine-game road trip to Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit needing to prove to themselves that they could win on the road, and that is exactly what they did.
Wednesday in Detroit was a crowing effort for the A’s
The A’s had won the first two games of the series in Detroit. They had compiled a 5-3 record on the road. With Wednesday being a day/get-away game to head back to the Bay Area, it would have been very easy to have a mental let down and just go through the motions to get out of town in order to get home.
The Athletics did not do that. They played tough. They played solid defense behind their starting pitcher Daniel Mengden. The Athletics worked to get runs when they could and they won the game.
They also swept the three-game series at Comerica Park and finished the nine-game road trip with a record of 6-3.
Manager Bob Melvin was a happy man after the win on Wednesday
Pitching dictated the ultimate outcome of the game
Athletics starter Daniel Mengden threw seven shutout innings and extended his scoreless inning streak to 16-innings which is the longest for any A’s pitcher this season. He gave up no runs on seven hits. One of the big keys to his win was the fact that he did not issue a walk. Mengden struck out four Tigers. His record is now 2-1 with an ERA of 3.30.
Ryan Dull came to relieve Mengden in the eighth inning and set the Tigers down in order. It looked like the final inning would be uneventful.
Dull came out for the ninth because Melvin was hoping to rest his overworked bullpen. Dull walked the first batter he faced — Efren Navarro. Mikie Mahtook then hit a 1-1 pitch from Dull for a double that moved Navarro up to third. Pitching coach Scott Emerson came out for a visit before Dull went back to work.
Dull struck out the next batter he faced — pinch-hitter Tyler Collins — for the first out of the inning. Andrew Romine then stepped into the box and hit a single to right that drove Navarro and Mahtook home to make it a 3-2 game.
That was all for Dull as Bob Melvin brought Liam Hendriks in from the pen. There was also an injury delay as catcher Bruce Maxwell had to come out of the game after taking a ball off the mask. He was replaced by Phegley.
Hendricks was able to get Jose Iglesias to ground into a force out that erased Romine and left Iglesias at first on the fielder’s choice. With Alex Presley batting, Iglesias moved up to second on a wild pitch. Presley struck out swinging to end the game.
Hendricks was credited with a save but more importantly he put up a “Goose Egg” meaning he did not allow a run to score.
Detroit pitching
Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez pitched six-innings and allowed just one run (earned) on three hits. He walked three A’s and struck out eight. Sanchez threw an incredible 115 pitches (68 strikes). He was also tagged with the loss, so his record falls to 3-5.
The big problem for Detroit was their bullpen failed in its effort to throw “Goose Eggs”. Daniel Stumpf took over Sanchez in the seventh inning and gave up the two-run home to Marcus Semien that was the ultimate difference maker in the game.
Joe Jimenez and Zac Reininger each worked an inning of relief for Detroit and both posted “Goose Eggs” in the run column.
A’s batters
Marcus Semien was the man for Oakland in the big win on Wednesday. He not only hit the game deciding two-run home run in the seventh inning, but Semien posted all three of the Athletics RBI. In the series, he went 4-for-10 and scored four runs.
Catcher Bruce Maxwell went 2-for-4 in the game with a double and two runs scored. He is now hitting .315 in day game versus .205 under the lights. Guess who is catching the day games? Also, the initial reports are that Maxwell does not appear to have a concussion from the foul tip that caused him to leave the game in the ninth inning.
The Athletics scored three runs on six hits and left seven men on base. Their record improved to 69-83.
Detroit hitting
Nicholas Castellanos hit a single in the sixth inning which extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games. He hit .346 against the A’s in 2017.
Efren Navarro hit a single in the second inning that upped his hitting streak to five games. He now batting .400 — 6-for-15 — with a double and triple during the streak.
The Tigers posted two runs off nine hits and left eight runners on base. They also committed two errors. Detroit’s record now stands at 62-90.
Up next
The Athletics left for the Bay Area right after the game and will have Thursday off. The A’s begin a three-game series in Oakland with the Rangers on Friday night. RHP Kendall Graveman (5-4, 4.39) is scheduled to start for the Athletics. Texas has not named their starter.
The Tigers continue their homestand on Thursday as they begin a four-game series with the Twins.
The Oakland Athletics ended a five-game losing streak on Saturday night in Houston with a 2-1 win over the Astros. The victory also ended a 10-game winning streak by the Astros over the A’s that carried over from the 2016 season. Houston was 3-0 this season versus Oakland until Saturday night.
It’s not often that a team can end three losing streaks with one win.
This game was all about the pitching
Athletics
Andrew Triggs won his fourth game of the season in Houston on Saturday night
RHP Andrew Triggs returned to his winning ways as he posted his fourth victory of the season by scattering five hits over seven scoreless innings. Triggs walked none while he struck out nine Houston batters. Triggs’ ERA dropped to 1.84. His record is now 4-1 for the season. He is tied with Dallas Keuchel and Ervin Santana for the most wins in the American League.
Ryan Dull (0.1-innings) and Sean Doolittle (0.2-innings) combined to handle the eighth inning. Doolittle allowed the Astros to score their only run of the game when Jose Altuve hit a solo home run (3) over the left center field wall with two out and no runners on base.
Santiago Casilla recorded his fourth save of the year by closing out the game. He gave up an infield single to Carlos Beltran who led off the ninth inning but was able keep the Astros from scoring and closed the game preserving the win for Oakland.
Astros
Joe Musgrove pitched well but took the loss for the Astros
Joe Musgrove (1-2) took the loss for Houston. Musgrove spread five hits over 6.1-innings while he struck out six batters and walked just one. His one major error came in the fourth inning with one out when Jed Lowrie hit his second home run of the season to right center field with no one on base.
Tony Sipp and Michael Feliz came in to close out the seventh inning for the Astros.
Will Harris came out of the bullpen for Houston in the eighth frame. Harris retired the first two Oakland hitters but then he had to pitch to Khris Davis. Davis took a Harris pitch deep to right center field for his 10th home run of year. That would turn out to be the game winning hit and run.
Brad Peacock worked the top of the ninth for the Astros. He had to face five A’s hitters to retire the side but he did so without allowing another run.
All the scoring came via the long ball
Oakland
Davis is tied for the lead in home runs in the American League
Khris Davis hit his 10th home run of the season which scored the A’s second and winning run. With 10 home runs, Davis is tied with the Yankees Aaron Judge for the lead in that category in the American League. It was his 17th RBI which ties his him for ninth in that stat. It’s also the second time this season he has gone yard in back-to-back games. The other time was against the Astros in Oakland on April 14 and 15.
Jed Lowrie hit his second home run of the season and upped his RBI total to five. He was the only Athletic to have a multi-hit game going 2-for-4.
The A’s collected a total of eight hits. Others in the hit parade were: Healy, Alonso, Vogt, Phegley and Pinder.
The A’s were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They left eight men on base.
Houston
Jose Altuve put up his third home run of the year in the game and it gave him his eighth RBI of the season. He was the only Astro with a multi-hit game going 2-for-3.
Others posting hits were: Reddick, Beltran, Gurriel, Gattis and Bregman for a total of seven.
Houston was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.
Key stat for the A’s
The Athletics committed no errors in the game. This is a very important stat to a team that is dead last in fielding percentage in the American League.
Up next
The A’s and Astros will close out their three-game series on Sunday morning 11:10 am PDT from Houston. RHP Jesse Hahn (1-1, 2.08) will take the hill for the Athletics. The Astros will send the undefeated Dallas Keuchel (4-0, 1.22) to the mound to the face the A’s in the “rubber game” of the series.
With the World Series almost over, that means the “Hot Stove League” is warming up. Let’s see what might be cooking for the Oakland Athletics.
Arbitration-Eligible Players
Khris Davis swings away
Danny Valencia IF/OF is ARB 3 and will get a projected $5.3-million in arbitration if the A’s go there. The question is do they need Valencia at this point? The answer is probably not. They have Healy at third base and Valencia is not a great outfielder. Look for Valencia to be a free agent.
Yonder Alonso IF/DH is also at the ARB 3 level and is projected get a contract worth $4.1-million. With Billy Butler gone, the A’s will be using a platoon system at the DH spot. Alonso can supply some power at the plate and plays a decent first base. Look for the A’s to pony up the bucks to keep him around.
Khris Davis OF/DH is eligible for arbitration for the first time in his career. Coming off a 42 home run – 102 RBI season Davis is looking forward to the process which will probably get him a $5-million contract.
Sonny Gray RHP is also eligible for arbitration for the first time. Unfortunately for Gray, he is coming off an injury-riddled season that will keep his numbers down. The projection is that he will receive a $3.7-million deal.
Stephen Vogt C will also experience the arbitration process for the first time in his career. Coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons cannot hurt his negotiations. Look for him to get around $3.7 million.
Liam Hendriks RHP – the Aussie reliever – made 53 appearances for the A’s the in 2016. The Athletics have to decide if that production is worth a $1-million contract which is what he’s projected to get in arbitration.
Players file for arbitration in January and the teams then respond with contract offers or inform the player an offer will not be tendered. If a contract cannot be negotiated, an arbitration hearing will take place in early February.
Arbitration salary projections are from RosterResource.com that has a track record of being very accurate with their projections
Players for whom Arbitration is only a dream
Marcus Semien SS arbitration eligible in 2018
Kendall Graveman RHP first arb year in 2018
Ryan Dull RHP the young reliever will not see arbitration until 2019
Sean Manaea LHP will join Dull at the arbitration table in ’19
Ryon Healy IF/DH the young phenom will not see arbitration until 2020
Given the cost of MLB players in today’s market, you can see why the cost conscious Athletics like find talented young players that they can control through the pre-arbitration process and then trade during the arbitration years for … younger players.
Free Agent Moves
#Athletics re-sign OF Andrew Lambo and #Giants re-sign 1B Kyle Blanks to minor league contracts for 2017. Both missed time in 2016.
Lambo had his 2016 season cut short when it was discovered that he had testicular cancer. He had to undergo surgery but has recovered and is ready to get back to playing the game. Lambo batted .255 in 56 games a Triple-A Nashville.
Cubs in the World Series nets the A’s a pitcher
The A’s claimed LHP Giovanni Soto off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. He was designated for assignment to make room on the Cubs 40-man roster for Kyle Schwarber who went to the Arizona Fall League and is now on the Chicago World Series roster.
Soto made his Major League debut in September 2015 with the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland traded Soto to the Cubs in April 2016 for cash. He spent the season at Triple-A Iowa where he went 1-3 with 5.14 ERA in 33 relief appearances.
Oakland Athletics left fielder Khris Davis Photo Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Just when it looked like a no-hitter was going to be pitched against the Oakland Athletics by Eduardo Rodriguez on Sunday, a 19-second video review overturned a call at first that would have been the third out in the bottom of the eighth inning and the bid for a no-hitter was over. Frankly, what happened next was unexpected.
The Red Sox brought in closer Craig Kimbrel to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning of the scoreless game. Danny Valencia led off the inning with a base on balls. With the potential winning run at first, the power-hitting Khris Davis came to the plate and hit a double to left field. Boston left fielder Brock Holt had trouble fielding the ball and Valencia was able to come home for the winning run. Davis was credited with a double and Holt was charged with an error so the run was unearned.
The Athletics defeated the Red Sox 1-0 in the final game of the three-game series. For the A’s, they score one run on just two hits while leaving six men on base. Oakland committed one error. Boston scored no runs off six hits and left nine men on base. The Red Sox committed two errors in the game.
On the Bump
It was a day that was all about pitching. The A’s had given up 27 runs in the first two games versus the Red Sox. Oakland needed a shutdown performance to give them a chance to salvage a win in the final game of the series.
A’s starter Kendall Graveman (10-9, 3.81) gave his team that chance on Sunday. He worked 6.1 scoreless innings for his team. Graveman struck out seven and walked just two. He threw 112 pitches (71 strikes).
A’s manager Bob Melvin said after the game that the key to the win was Graveman’s ability to work his way out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the fourth inning.
For all of his hard efforts, Graveman earns a no decision for the day.
Ryan Dull came on to relieve Graveman in the seventh inning with runners at first and second. Dull closed out the seventh and faced just four batters in the eighth inning to keep the shutout intact.
Closer Ryan Madson was brought in for the top of the ninth inning. He put the side down in order to keep Boston without a run on the board. Madson was the pitcher of record when Valencia scored the winning run so he picks up the win. Madson is now 5-4 on the season.
Graveman, Dull and Madson combined to shutout a very powerful Boston Red Sox team.
For most of the game, it appeared that Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5, 4.83) would be the story of the contest by pitching a no-hitter. The Red Sox left-hander was in command on the mound right from the beginning of the game. He struck out five and walked just two batters. Rodriguez had three 1-2-3 innings.
Rodriguez was cruising to another three-up, three-down inning when the unthinkable happened. With two out and Marcus Semien at the plate, the A’s shortstop hit a ball right back to the mound at the feet of the pitcher. Rodriguez could not find the ball. When Rodriguez finally found the ball, he fired it to first and Semien was called out. Almost immediately, the A’s were calling for a review and the umpires initiated a review because it was after the seventh inning.
It only took 19-seconds for video control in New York to overturn the call and Semien was called safe. That was all for the no hit bid. Rodriguez got Jake Smolinski to ground out to end the eighth inning.
Rodriguez pitched 8.0-innings giving up no runs on one hit. He struck out five and walked two. He threw 110 pitches (72 strikes). Rodriguez is now 0-2 with a 2.83 ERA in his last five starts.
Craig Kimbrel takes the loss for the Sox. He gave up one run on one hit. He walked one hitter. Kimbrel’s record falls to 2-4 for the year.
In the Batter’s Box
The Khris Davis double was the highlight for the Athletics on Sunday. Davis went 1-for-4 in the game including two strike outs but kept his concentration and aggressiveness when his team needed it the most. For Davis, it was his 20th double of the year and his 85th RBI.
It was Big Papi’s last appearance at the Coliseum on Sunday and things did not go the way he would have liked them go. Ortiz went 0-for-2 on the day with two walks.
Rookie Yoan Moncada went 2-for-4 for his second consecutive multi-hit game.
In the Field
The Red Sox $60-million man – Rookie Yoan Moncada – committed his first big league error on Sunday. In the bottom of the second inning, Moncada attempted to field a ground ball hit to third by Ryon Healy. Moncada did not get in front of the ball and wound up waving at the ball with his glove as it bounced by him into left field. Even top prospects are humbled by the baseball.
Danny Valencia was charged with an error in the fourth inning when his throw to Marcus Semien drew the shortstop off the bag and allowed the runner to be called safe in what should have been a force out. The runner was originally called out and the Red Sox had to challenge the call. It took 1-minute 19-seconds for the original call to be overturned and for the error to be charged to Valencia.
Up Next – Here come the rookies
The A’s will host the LA Angels for a three-game series that will get underway on Monday afternoon at 1:05 PM. That game will feature the debut of RHP Raul Alcantara for the Athletics. Alcantara began the season at Double-A Midland and was then promoted to Triple-A Nashville. Alcantara made eight starts at Nashville and posted a 4-0 record with a 1.18 ERA.
LHP Ross Detwiler (1-3, 4.66) will start for Oakland on Tuesday night. The Angels have not named a starter.
The Wednesday afternoon game will feature another Major League debut as RHP Jharel Cotton will take the mound for the A’s. Cotton came to the A’s from the Dodgers as a part of the Josh Reddick/Rich Hill trade. Cotton made six starts for the Sounds and recorded a 3-1 record with a 2.82 ERA. One of those wins was a one-hitter that came very close to being a no-hitter. That performance won Cotton the PCL Player of the Week.
Alcantara and Cotton will be the 11th and 12th rookie pitchers to appear for the A’s this season. They will be the 26th and 27th pitchers used by Oakland in 2016.
The Oakland Athletics bats came alive on Sunday as they hit two home runs and three doubles to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4. The victory also gave the A’s the series win 2 games to one. To win a series from a potential playoff team on the road has to be very satisfying to an Oakland team that has struggled so much in the month of August.
The A’s offense was facing left-hander Jamie Garcia who was seeking his 11th win of the season. The A’s served notice in the top of the first that they were not going to go down easy when Khris Davis hit a two-run home run (34) to right center field to give Oakland an early 2-0 lead.
The A’s never trailed in game as they scored seven runs on nine hits while leaving four runners on base. The A’s played error free baseball. The Cards scored four runs on eight hits and left three runners on base. St. Louis committed two errors in the contest.
The A’s are now 57-73 for the season and the Cardinals fall to 68-61 for the year.
In the Batter’s Box
Khris Davis continues to lead the way for the A’s by using his power to put runs up on the board. Davis hit his two-run home run with a 3-2 count, two out and Danny Valencia on at first. For Davis it was his 34th home run of the season and his 84th and 85th RBIs of the campaign.
Ryon Healy extended his major league leading hitting streak to 14 games as he went 2-for-3 on Sunday. Both of Healy’s hits were doubles off Garcia. He did score a run when he was driven home on Vogt’s home run in the third inning.
Speaking of Stephen Vogt, he had a 1-for-3 day by hitting his 11th home run of the year – a three-run shot and had a total of four RBIs in the game. Vogt has 40 RBIs for the season.
Danny Valencia was a real contributor on Sunday as he went 3-for-4 with the bat. He hit his 18th double, scored two runs and added an RBI. Valencia did all of that in seven innings as he was lifted in a double switch (inter-league game in a National League park).
Matt Carpenter was the man with bat for the Cardinals on Sunday. He had a 3-for-4 game that included a home run (17), two doubles (29), 3 runs scored and a RBI (58). Carpenter did all of that from the leadoff spot in the order.
On the Bump
Right-hander Andrew Triggs made his fifth start of the year for the A’s on Sunday and picked up his first win as a starter. He worked 6.0 innings giving up three runs (all earned) on four hits (one hit was the HR to Carpenter). Triggs struck out eight Cardinal batters and walked none. He threw 88 pitches (58 strikes) while facing 22 batters. Triggs should be very happy with his performance and the run support from his teammates.
Ryan Dull came on to relieve Triggs in the seventh inning. Dull gave up one run on two hits in his time on the hill. After allowing a single to Greg Garcia, Alberto Rosario hit a double to right field off Triggs. Eibner fielded the ball, threw it to Pinder -the cutoff man. Pinder decided to throw home. It was too late to put out Garcia who scored but catcher Stephen Vogt realized Rosario was heading for third. Vogt fired the ball to Healy who put the tag down and Rosario was the third out of the inning. For our Sabrmetrics readers, the play went 9-4-2-5. You will not see that scoring breakdown very often during the season.
Liam Hendriks worked an inning for the second game in a row. He allowed no runs on no hits while striking out one batter. It was his sixth hold of the year.
Ryan Madson came on in the bottom of the ninth because it was a save situation. The A’s closer did give up two hits in the inning but Madson kept things under control to close out the game and pick up his 27th save of the season.
Up Next
The A’s left St. Louis and traveled to Houston where they will begin a three-game series with the Astros on Monday night.
LHP Sean Manaea (5-8, 4.53) will be the starter for Oakland. Manaea’s last outing was a 7.0 inning performance versus the Cleveland Indians where he allowed just one run on three hits and struck out eight batters. He picked up his fifth win of the season in that game.
The Astros will counter with RHP Joe Musgrove (1-2, 5.20). Musgrove was called up from Triple-A Fresno on August 2nd. This will be his fifth start for Houston since being promoted. Musgrove has lost his last two starts. In his last start on Tuesday against Pittsburg, Musgrove lasted just 4.0 innings giving up five runs on eight hits. He was charged with the loss.
The A’s and Astros play a night game on Tuesday and wrap up the series with a day game on Wednesday.
The Cardinals left for Milwaukee where they will play a three-game set with the Brewers.
Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
by Charlie O. Mallonee
The Oakland Athletics (16-22) closed out their nine-game road trip on a high note with a 7-6 win over the Tampa Bay Rays (16-19) on Sunday. The victory also gave the A’s the series win two games to one.
Trailing the Rays 6-5 with two out in the top of the ninth inning the Athletics played like a team that refused to lose. With two out, Billy Burns hit a 1-2 pitch into center field for a double. That brought Danny Valencia to the plate. Valencia had already hit two home runs in the game. Valencia hit the first pitch to him from reliever Steve Geltz over the left center field wall for a two-run home and gave the A’s a 7-6 lead.
Oakland closer Ryan Madson came on in the bottom of the ninth and needed just four ptiches to retire the side and preserve the win for the A’s. It was save number 10 of the season for Madson.
This is a significant win for the A’s for three reasons. First, they won a game on day when their pitching ace Sonny Gray did not have a great outing. Second, the A’s had to come from behind to win on Sunday proving to themselves they can fight their way back into games. Third, Oakland won a one-run game. For whatever reason, this is a team that finds itself in one-run games frequently. The Sunday win works as a reminder they can win those close game.
In the batter’s box
Danny Valencia was the man with the bat today for the Athletics. He hit three home runs on Sunday to bring his total to five for the series in Tampa Bay and for the season to date. Valencia drove in five runs and scored three. He hit in the number three spot Sunday as Josh Reddick was given the day off versus a left-handed starter.
Coco Crisp played center field and hit lead off Sunday. Crisp went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored.
With Reddick given the day off, Billy Burns played right field. Burns went 1-for-5 with one run scored. That one hit was the double in the top of the ninth that kept the inning alive for Valencia to hit what became the game-winning home run.
Chris Coghlan was brought in to pinch hit for Tyler Ladendorf in the top the seventh inning. Coghlan took a 0-1 pitch over the left center field wall for his fifth home run of the year.
The A’s scored seven runs on 12 hits while leaving six men on base. They struck out eight times and walked twice.
Brandon Guyer was the leader at the plate for the Rays on Sunday. He had a lead off home run in the bottom of first inning off Sonny Gray to tie the game at 1-1. Guyer came to bat in the bottom of the second with two runners on when the inning was extended by a two-out error. Guyer hit the ball into the left field stands for a three-run home run. Guyer finished with five RBI on the day.
Evan Longoria went 2-for-4 for the game. Longoria hit his seventh home run and a double on Sunday.
The Rays scored six runs on six hits and left four runners on base. Rays batters struck out nine times and walked two times.
On the mound
A’s starter Sonny Gray had another tough outing on Sunday. Gray has not recorded a win in his last four starts. He had a no decision on Sunday. Gray worked 5.2-innings giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Gray gave up three home runs (Guyer 2, Longoria). He threw 99 pitches (67 strikes). Gray’s ERA now stands at 5.84.
The A’s bullpen came in and did the job for their team on Sunday. Ryan Dull relieved Gray in the sixth and worked 1.1-innings. Dull allowed no runs or hits. He struck out four and walked none.
John Axford pitched the eighth inning for Oakland. Axford gave up no runs, no hits, no walks and struck out one. Axford (3-1) is credited with the win as he was pitcher of record when the A’s scored in the top of the ninth.
Ryan Madson threw a perfect ninth inning needing just four pitches to retire the side. Madson now has 10 saves for the A’s.
Defense
The A’s were able to overcome a defensive miscue that took place in the bottom of the second inning. With two out and catcher Hank Conger at bat, the A’s defense went into a shift overloading the infield to the right. Second baseman Tyler Ladendorf was playing in shallow right field. Conger hit the ball to where the second baseman would normally be stationed. Ladendorf charged the ball and was unable to field it. Conger was safe. The next hitter Guyer hit a three-run home run. The error resulted in three unearned runs.
The A’s lead the American League in errors with 28.
Up next
The A’s return home to begin a three-game home series with the Texas Rangers on Monday night. LHP Derek Holland (3-2, 6.09) will start for Texas while the A’s will go with LHP Sean Manaea (0-1, 11.37).
On Tuesday, Texas will send LHP Cole Hamels to the mound to face the A’s LHP Eric Surkamp.
In the finale on Wednesday afternoon, LHP Martin Perez will start for the Rangers while LHP Rich Hill will take the hill for Oakland.
by Charlie O. Mallonee
Sports Radio Service 