The Athletics beat up on the Braves 10-1

Springs was sharp and the bats were alive

With the MLB All-star game, a week from tonight, the Athletics kicked off their next to last series before the break against the Atlanta Braves. Jeffrey Springs took the mound for the A’s tonight at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento against Didier Fuentes for the Braves.

The game started with two bangs in the opposite extreme. Lawrence Butler rapped an inside-the-park homer on the first pitch of the bottom of the first.

The next loud noise was Fuentes nailing A’s all-star shortstop Jacob Wilson right on the wrist with the very next pitch. He was hit squarely and had to leave the game grimacing with pain. It took five pitches to Brent Rooker before he made some loud noise with a homer to deep left field. So, seven pitches into the game, the A’s were already up 3-0.

Nick Kurtz followed with a walk, and after a Soderstrom strikeout, Max Muncy stretched the lead to 5-0 with a long homer of his own to left field.

In the bottom of the second, the A’s lit up the scoreboard again. Denzel Clarke singled to open the inning. Butler walked and Max Schuemann singled to load the bases. Rooker struck out, but Nick Kurtz followed with a monster grand slam to clear the bases and give the A’s a 9-0 lead.

Lawrence Butler decided he wanted to hit another homer the more traditional way and knocked it over the centerfield wall to give the A’s a 10-0 lead.

Eli White got the Braves on the board with a homer to left center field.

Justin Sterner replaced Springs in the top of the seventh inning. Springs ended his day after six innings giving up one earned run, on six hits and one walk. He struck out two.

Elvis Alvarado entered the game in the ninth, replacing Sterner. He made quick work of the Braves in the inning to close out the victory for the A’s. The final score was 10-1. The two teams will be back at it tomorrow night.

*The early report on Wilson’s wrist is a contusion and that he’s day-to-day.