Game #111: Chapman’s Blast Secures Game Win, Series Win as A’s Beat Brewers 5-3
The A’s win another series with an afternoon win today to take two out of three from the Brewers; most impressively two out of three off their elite closer, Josh Hader, as the other Matt (Chapman) got to him today, a two-run blast that turned the game around from an eighth inning deficit, 3-2, to a sudden, shocking, amazing 4-3 lead. The A’s added another run, and thanks to Blake Treinen’s perfect 8th and Liam Hendriks’ perfect ninth, they won! It was a huge win.
Things were looking pretty grim through eight innings for our heroes. Down 3-2 in the eighth, having been just frozen for multiple games now, missing Ramon Laureano and his monster season numbers, with Matt Chapman ice cold; 1-28 at the time, in danger of losing the series after last night’s loss, and facing closer Josh Hader, who recorded the save last night after losing the game Tuesday, things were indeed dicey.
And then, Robbie Grossman worked a walk to open the inning. And Matt Chapman homered. A huge homer, deep to center to turn the game around, from the 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 go-ahead. And there was much rejoicing.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the A’s. Yes, they swept the White Sox and Mariners, but split with the Twins, lost two out of three to the Astros, and worse, split (barely) with the Rangers before we even got here. With the A’s the perceived underdog in the Wild Card race, already missing a huge core in their offense and defensive game, and with their best weapon, the offense, piloting the struggle bus, things looked grim for most of the game; a near carbon copy of yesterday’s through eight.