Athletics take down Nats 7-6

Victory gives A’s third straight series win

The Oakland Athletics wrapped-up a three-game interleague series with the Washington Nationals today at the Oakland Coliseum. Lefty Alex Wood got the start for Mark Kotsay’s A’s and faced Righty Trevor Williams for the Nats.

With one out in the top of the third inning Wood walked Trey Lipscomb. Shea Langeliers threw a bullet to nab him stealing. Wood then hit Jacob Young. CJ Abrams then doubled driving Young to third. Joey Meneses grounded out to JD Davis allowing Young to score and Abrams to advance to third. Wood walked Jesse Winker. Lane Thomas singled to drive in Abrams and move Winker to third. He walked Joey Gallo but then got Ildemaro Vargas to line out to end the rally. At the end of three, The Nats led 2-0.

Riley Adams doubled to lead off the top of the fourth. Jacob Young doubled to drive in Adams. JD Davis made a great over the shoulders catch on an Abrams pop up to save further damage. But the A’s trailed 3-0 heading to the bottom of the fourth.

JJ Bleday singled for the second time today in the bottom of the fourth inning but was stranded there at the end of the inning. Lane Thomas led off the fifth with a solo homer. After a Vargas single, Kotsay ended Wood’s Day and brought in Mitch Spence. A Gelof to Noda double play ended the inning. Lawrence Butler ripped a double to right, missing a homer by inches. Shea Langeliers singled to bring Butler home without a throw.

Trey Lipscomb led off the sixth with a base hit. He scored on a bloop single by Joey Meneses. Jesse Winker singled to move Meneses to third. Lane Thomas kept his big day going with an RBI single to drive in Meneses. Midway through the sixth, the Nationals held a 6-1 lead. The A’s chased Williams in the bottom of the sixth following a Toro base on balls and then a JJ Bleday double. With runners on second and third, Derek Law replaced Williams. Seth Brown struck out for the third time today, but Tyler Nevin singled to right field to drive in Toro and move Bleday to third. Butler singled to score Bleday and move Nevin to third. A Law wild pitch allowed Nevin to score and moved Butler to second. Langeliers drew a walk. Ryan Noda battled for a walk to load the bases. That brought Dave Martinez out of the dugout again, this time to bring in Jordan Weems to pitch to Darell Hernaiz. Hernaiz worked a walk to drive in the A’s fifth run of the day. With two outs and runners on the move, Toro blooped a single to left that drove in two. Gelof grounded into a force at second to end the inning, but not before the A’s took the lead for the first time today 7-6.

Dany Jiménez entered the game in the top of the seventh. Jiménez worked around Riley Adams’ second double of the day to shut the Nationals down in his half of the seventh. Dylan Floro entered the game for the Nationals. Floro caught his former Marlins teammate JJ Bleday looking for the first out, but then gave up singles to Seth Brown and Tyler Nevin and then walked Butler to load the bases. But Langeliers grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Lucas Erceg took the mound in the eighth inning. He walked CJ Abrams after getting ahead 0-2. But a slick DP by Gelof at second and Ryan Noda stretching at first cleared the bases. Speaking of slickness, Erceg made a play reminiscent of Miami Jai-Alai to swipe the ball over to Noda to end the inning.

Mason Miller replaced Erceg in the ninth. He struck out hot-hitting Lane Thomas and then Joey Gallo. Luis García Jr. came in to pinch hit with two down. In fine Miller-time fashion, he struck out Garcia too to end the game and give the A’s their third consecutive series win; their first at home this year.