Oakland drops the final two games of the series
The Oakland Athletics saw an early lead slip away thanks to an eight-run sixth inning in a 10-4 loss to the New York Yankees.
Tony Kemp ended any chance of a second consecutive perfect game with a leadoff single. TK stole second, then advanced ninety feet after the catchers throw to second base bounced off his helmet and into center field. JJ Bleday followed with a sacrifice fly to give the A’s a 1-0 lead.
The Yankees answered back in the second against Hogan Harris. Isiah Kiner-Falefa sent a deep drive to center that Esteury Ruiz got a glove on, but was unable to haul in for a solo home run. Replay showed that Ruiz caught the ball, but lost his glove over the fence on the play.
Oakland retook the lead in the third as Ryan Noda and JJ Bleday walked to leadoff the inning. Seth Brown ripped a single to right thatscored Ryan Noda to make it 2-1. Carlos Perez followed with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Bleday to make it 3-1.
Sliding into the lead pic.twitter.com/npHpO8p6nU
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) June 29, 2023
New York got one run back in the fourth as Harrison Bader doubled, advanced to third on a ground out by Josh Donaldson and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Kiner-Falefa.
Harris worked a scoreless fifth, but things started to go south in the sixth. Bader singled to lead off the inning and then scored on a monstrous home run by Donaldson to give the Yankees back the lead at 4-3. Harris got Kiner-Falefa to fly out, but then allowed a single to Anthony Volpe. That would end his day as he was replaced by Lucas Erceg.
Volpe moved up to second on an errant pickoff attempt and Erceg then hit Jose Trevino with a pitch to put runners at first and second. A walk to DJ LeMahieu loaded the bases before Gleyber Torres added on with a single that scored two more to make it 6-3.
Things only got worse for Erceg who hit Anthony Rizzo and then allowed a two-run double to Giancarlo Stanton to push the lead to 8-3. Bader added another run with a single before Mark Kotsay finally went back to his bullpen for Ken Waldichuk. Waldichuk got Donaldson to pop out for the second out, but then gave up another hit to Kiner-Falefa that scored Stanton to make it 10-3. Volpe lined out to Conner Capel in right to bring the inning to a merciful end.
Harris wasn’t sharp allowing nine hits and five runs (four earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and stuck out two while throwing 91 pitches. He got no relief from his bullpen though as Erceg failed to retire a batter while allowing three hits and five more runs.
The A’s scored their final run in the eighth. JJ Bleday walked and moved to second on a single by Brown. Bleday moved to third on a ground out and then scored on a pinch-hit single by Brent Rooker to make it 10-4.
In what sounds like a recurring theme, Oakland looked to be in control of the ball game until the wheels fell off early in the sixth inning.
The A’s were unable to secure the series to the Yankees and now have lost two in a row. The with the Chicago White Sox in town for three games, there will be little time to dwell on their mistakes.