Athletics’ latest home loss to Rangers includes grand slam by Marcus Semien
The Athletics had insult added to indignity Saturday, floundering at home again in an 11-4 loss to the Texas Rangers at the Coliseum.
It was the 14th loss at the Coliseum in the last 16 games as the Athletics fell to 6-17 overall at home. Making it worse for the announced crowd of 6,502 is the game was broken wide open in the fifth inning when favorite son Marcus Semien unloaded a grand slam against Jake Lemoine for a 9-1 lead.
It was Semien’s first home run of the season after signing a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers in the offseason one year after hitting 45 home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays. Semien, a favorite of A’s fans from Berkeley, St. Mary’s High and Cal, signed with Toronto as a free agent before the 2021 season because he was too expensive, much as Chris Bassitt, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman and Sean Manaea were when they were traded before the 2022 season started.
Semien, who came in hitting .193 with 11 RBIs, also drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning for a fifth run batted in.
The drive to right center against Lemoine barely cleared the fence and was the highlight of a six-run inning for Texas that also included run-scoring singles by Andy Ibanez and Kole Calhoun, with Calhoun’s hit coming against Adam Kolarek. It was the sixth grand slam of Semien’s career, four of which have come at the Coliseum.
“It felt good. When I first hit it, I was like, `It’s probably going to get caught,’ ” Semien said. “But you know, it carried out. Sometimes, day games, you hit it right here and it carries. First home run with a new team was a grand slam, a swing to help us win. I’ll take it.”
Playing under interim manager Brad Ausmus with Mark Kotsay attending the high school graduation of his daughter in San Diego, the last-place A’s fell to 19-30. Texas improved to 22-23 in the A.L. West a day after rallying from a 5-2 deficit against the A’s to win 8-5.
In the A’s 2-14 slump at home, they’re hitting .208 and averaging 2.9 runs per game with a 5.59 earned run average.
Ramon Laureano hit a solo home run for the A’s in the fifth inning, his first of the season. It was Laureano’s first home run since July 19 of last season against the Los Angeles Angels.
Simmy Slam! pic.twitter.com/6bWAWThB2I
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 28, 2022
Zach Logue (2-4) took the loss for the A’s as he was strafed in the third inning for four runs, including back-to-back home runs by Corey Seager (his ninth) and Adolis Garcia (his seventh). The left-hander, acquired from Toronto in the Chapman deal, has hit a rough patch after a promising start. In his last two starts, Logue has given up 13 hits and 11 earned runs in seven innings with five walks and seven strikeouts.
“I don’t think he had a real good feel for the baseball the whole time, even though he was able to work through the first two innings,” Ausmus said. “I think the command kind of came and went and eventually it just went too far. He battled, but he just didn’t have it.”
After two scoreless innings, things came apart quickly for Logue in the third. Semien led off with a single, and was followed by Seager’s blast over the centerfield fence for a 2-0 Texas lead. On the very next pitch, Garcia launched a solo shot and was followed by a single by Calhoun.
Even the one out Logue recorded was hit hard, as Sam Huff lined out to right field for what would be the last out he would get. Nathaniel Lowe followed with a triple into the rightfield corner that caromed away from Laureano, with Calhoun coming around to score.
“I was able to put the ball where I wanted to when I had success and I haven’t been able to do that and obviously the numbers have shown that,” Logue said.
That would be it for Logue, who added to the A’s starting pitching woes of late. The A’s starters are 1-8 in their last 17 games with a 5.27 ERA.
The A’s scored an unearned run in the fourth inning with the help of an errant throw on a pickoff attempt from starter and winner Taylor Hearn (3-3), with Elvis Andrus eventually coming home on a ground out by Sheldon Neuse. Neuse also had a run-scoring single in the sixth to snap an 0-for-22 streak, the longest of his career. Laureano added a fourth run in the seventh, scoring on a fielder’s choice with Andrus at the plate.
Austin Pruitt, a 32-year-old right-hander who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas, threw three scoreless innings and gave up two hits for the A’s in the seventh through the ninth innings. Justin Grimm was designated for assignment to make room for Pruitt. Until Pruitt came on, Texas had 16 hits in six innings against Logue, Lemoine and Kolarek.
Pruitt threw 38 pitches, 25 for strikes.
“He was very efficient, didn’t use a lot of pitches and he saved our bullpen,” Ausmus said. “We knew we were a little short in terms of innings and we had guys that needed rest and he did an excellent job of saving those guys and allowing them a day off.”
The A’s conclude the series against the Rangers Sunday at 1 p.m. with right-hander James Kaprielian (0-2, 4.50) facing Dane Dunning (1-3, 4.32).