A’s lose 6-5 on another walk-off

The losing streak is now at seven and three of the last four have ended in walk-off fashion

The Oakland A’s just keep inventing ways to lose.

After the first inning of tonight’s game against the Minnesota Twins, it looked like the A’s could be on their way to the offensive onslaught they’ve desperately needed for weeks thanks to a Shea Langeliers grand slam. Instead, their offense would do what they do far too often and stall.

Seven innings later the A’s were sweating a one-run lead on defense with the bases loaded and two innings after that, they were on the losing end of another walk-off — the third time in the last four games. This time it was a walk-off single from Max Kepler who drove in four tonight en-route to a 6-5 Twins victory. They’ve now taken the first two of this four game series.

For a second it looked like the A’s would squander their first-inning golden opportunity. They loaded the bases with one out thanks to walks from Max Schuemann and JJ Bleday and an infield single from Miguel Andujar. Tyler Soderstrom failed to move anybody up by striking out, but Langeliers picked him up and then some with his 13th big fly of the year to put the A’s up 4-0 in the blink of an eye.

The Twins got one back with a second-inning RBI triple from Byron Buxton, and the A’s had chances to rebuttal.

One-out singles from Andujar and Soderstrom in the third set up runners at the corners, but another untimely strikeout and lineout ended the threat. Still, the A’s were able to squeeze 80 pitches out of Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson in just four innings of work. It’s his second shortest outing of the season for what’s been a solid rookie campaign.

The Twins put runners on all evening against Mitch Spence, but Spence benefitted from three double plays to escape some jams. In the sixth inning, however, the Twins finally broke through. Spence allowed singles to Willi Castro and Carlos Correa then hung a slider to Kepler, and Kepler firmly deposited the ball into the right center stands.

Suddenly, the score was tied at four. Spence was replaced two batters later for Austin Adams as he went 5.2 innings allowing nine hits, four earned and striking out three.

After folding for five innings, the A’s offense came back to life in the seventh. Bleday was plunked by a pitch, and Brent Rooker stepped up next and smacked an RBI triple to deep center field.

Next up was Andujar and he grounded a ball hardly to third. With one-out, it’s technically the best time for the A’s to gamble with a runner at third but the play was too routine for Jose Miranda and Rooker was out by a mile at home. While the A’s took the lead a batter prior, that looming run would haunt the A’s an inning later.

Lucas Erceg loaded the bases with one out after a Schuemann throwing error, hit by pitch and walk. Mason Miller was then inserted for the potential four-out save and he immediately walked home the tying run. He’d then prompt a groundout force play at home and lineout to escape the jam with the damage at just one run, but that one run came with no hits.

With two of the games best closers in the game, Miller and Jhoan Duran, it’s no mistake that scoreless frames were exchanged until the bottom of the tenth when it was Scott Alexanders turn. He intentionally walked Correa to set up the force but it wouldn’t matter as Kepler won it with the walk-off single.

The A’s have lost seven in a row and to add salt to the wound, they’ve lead at some point in the last six. They’ve also lost 17 of their last 19 on the road.

Tomorrow is a new day and it’s a bright and early 11:10 AM PDT first-pitch. Joey Estes takes the ball for the A’s looking to avoid an eighth straight loss while Bailey Ober counters for the Twins.