Athletics blown out by Dodgers 10-0

Not a great performance from the good guys

The Athletics dropped the middle game against Los Angeles, falling to Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers 10-0 in the middle game on a perfect night at the Coliseum.

Rookie right-hander Mitch Spence got the ball tonight for his 14th start of the season. Facing a hurt but still dangerous Dodgers lineup, Spence worked around an Ohtani single and stolen base in the first and had a perfect 1-2-3 second inning. The A’s likewise threatened in the first inning but came up short after back-to-back hits to open the frame went to waste. Going against Dodgers trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty, you can’t waste opportunities like that.

Los Angeles broke through first this evening, scoring two runs off of Spence in the third inning to give them their first lead of the night. It could have been even worse if not for a terrific throw from catcher Shea Langeliers to nab a would-be base stealer:

That was all Los Angeles would get off of Spence today. The Dodgers threatened against the rookie again in the fifth with back-to-back singles but he managed to escape the frame without allowing a run. Oakland’s Rule 5 pick managed to get the first two outs in the sixth inning but a 2-out single ended his day, with Mark Kotsay turning to the bullpen to finish off the final 3 ¹⁄₃ innings.

-Mitch Spence: 5 ²⁄₃ IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 97 pitches

That’s three straight solid outings for the 26-year old, who had limped through the finish line on the first half. That break seems to have done just the trick to get Spence back on track as he’s seemingly back on a role. His next start is tentatively lined up for Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Back to the game, Flaherty was having his way with the A’s offense, retiring the sides in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The sixth saw the Athletics’ best chance against the Dodgers stud, loading the bases with no outs against the right-hander. Then he showed why Los Angeles acquired him, getting a force out, strikeout, and groundout to leave them loaded and totally demoralize the A’s. That would be it for Flaherty tonight but he did his job and then some, holding down the hot-hitting A’s offense.

Newly acquired relief pitcher Will Klein took over for Spence in the sixth and walked his first batter faced as an Oakland A. He managed to induce a fly out from the next batter to end the inning and that was all we would get to see for Klein in his A’s debut. Lefty Scott Alexander, who was surprisingly not traded at the deadline a couple of days ago, pitched a perfect seventh inning, keeping the score close and giving the offense a chance to come back. After that is when things really fell apart for the pitching staff. Righty Gerardo Reyes pitched the eighth and allowed a pair of runs to make it 4-0, and then a disastrous outing from Kyle Muller in the ninth sealed tonight’s outcome as he allowed six runs in the top of the ninth to really blow this game open. The good guys went down meekly in the bottom half, ending what was a close game on a sour note.

Not a great day for the squad. The Oakland bats had little answer for Jack Flaherty in his Dodgers debut and the bullpen fell apart late to seal the deal. On the bright side rookie right-hander Mitch Spence continues his solid start to the second half as he held down a potent Dodgers offense to just two runs on the evening. This was the hope and expectation for Spence entering the year and he’s living up to his draft pick slot.

The A’s can still take the series with a win in tomorrow’s series finale. The Athletics will send out another rookie right-hander in Osvaldo Bido, who is coming off a rough start last time out against the Angels. He’ll be hoping to right the ship with a quality outing tomorrow. Los Angeles will counter with fellow rookie righty River Ryan, who is set to make just his third MLB start/appearance. Sounds like a good opportunity to steal a win, if you ask me.