A’s Fall to Jays 7-6

Valiant Ninth Inning Comeback Falls Short

After taking the series last night in dramatic, walk-off fashion from the Atlanta Braves, the Athletics faced off against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first game of final series of the first half tonight at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Luis Severino took the mound against Max Scherzer.

Both pitchers had base runners early but stayed out of trouble. Severino whiffed four through three innings and was consistently in or near the strike zone. That said, the wheels started to wobble off in the fourth inning. Bo Bichette doubled on the first pitch of the inning. Alejandro Kirk walked, and Severino hit Will Wagner. Ernie Clement hit a sacrifice fly to score Bichette. Severino then struck Myles Straw out looking to end the inning. The A’s escaped major damage and came to bat in the bottom of the fourth down 1-0.

The Jays scored in the fifth inning when the defense failed the A’s again. George Springer reached on a throwing error by Gelof. Vlad Guerrero Jr. singled, to center moving Springer to third. With two outs Guerrero took off for second and Springer broke for home, The A’s had him clearly out at home, but Langeliers dropped the throw home. Officially it was scored a double steal, but it was a clear miscue. Addison Barger singled and stole second. Then Alejandro Kirk singled, scoring Barger and Guerrero. Jack Perkins replaced Severino. Perkins walked Clement to load the bases again. Nathan Lukes ripped a one-hopper off Nick Kurtz shoulder which was scored a double and drove in two more runs. Severino’s final line was 4.2 innings giving up five runs, only one earned, on seven hits and two walks. He struck out a season-high eight Blue Jays. When the inning was over, the Jays led 7-0.

Scherzer set the A’s down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth, and Osvaldo Bido replaced Perkins for the sixth. The A’s got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Brent Rooker singled and Nick Kurtz hit a 430 ft homer to straight-away center field nearly clearing the batter’s eye.

Shea Langeliers grounded out and then Tyler Soderstrom continued his power surge with a homer to centerfield. That tightened the score to 7-3 in favor of the Jays.

With future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer out of the game, the A’s jumped on his replacement with singles by Muncy and Gelof. Denzel Clarke flew out, moving Muncy to third. But both Butler and Rooker K’d to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, with one out, Max Muncy homered to center to bring the score to 7-4. Zack Gelof walked and Denzel Clarke singled, bringing the tying run to the plate in Lawrence Butler. Butler struck out swinging. That left the game in the hands of Brent Rooker. Gelof scored on a wild pitch closing the gap to 7-5. Rooker singled, scoring Clarke. That brought up Nick Kurtz. He worked a full count but swung and missed on a 90-mph splitter to end the game. The final score was 7-6.