Athletics defeat the snow and the Rockies 6-3

Miller notches second save of the year

The Athletics hit the road this weekend after a disappointing and fan-demoralizing series sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs at home in West Sacramento. The A’s arrived in Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies and were greeted at Coors Field with…37 degrees and snow! Osvaldo Bido, a 29-year-old righty, took the mound today against 28-year-old right-hander Ryan Feltner.

The A’s got on the board early in the bottom of the first with three consecutive two-out singles. The third, by Tyler Soderstrom, scoring JJ Bleday to give the A’s a 1-0 lead. It did not last long as Ezequiel Tovar tripled off the tight field wall and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan McMahon to right fielder Lawrence Butler. At the end of the first inning, the score was knotted at 1-1.

The score stood until the top of the fourth when Jacob Wilson homered deep into the left field seats.

No lead is ever safe in Colorado, and this one was no different. Michael Toglia led off with a single, and Kyle Farmer doubled to knock him in.

Lawrence Butler singled and stole second (his 19^th successful steal attempt in a row dating back to last season). The A’s were the last team in baseball to steal a base, but so far today have two already. Butler was stranded at third as the inning ended.

In the top of the sixth Tyler Soderstrom singled and scored on a Miguel Andujar double. Andujar moved to third on the errant throw home. That chased Feltner. But the next three batters produced non-productive outs stranding Andujar at third. Midway through the sixth inning the A’s lead 3-2. Justin Sterner replaced Bido in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bido’s final line was five innings, six hits, two walks, five strikeouts and two earned runs.

Tyler Ferguson replaced Sterner in the bottom of the seventh inning. He gave up singles to Doyle and Tovar with no outs. But Ryan McMahon popped out and Hunter Goodwin ground into a double play to end the threat.

Kyle Farmer hit a ground rule double off the struggling Jose Leclerc. Jordan Beck singled to drive him in to re-tie the score at 3 all. As the snow began to fall even harder, the A’s went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.

Max Schuemann was the A’s placed runner at second base. He moved to third on a wild pitch. Butler singled on a dribbler to the pitcher. Schuemann was forced to stay at third. Moving on contact, Schuemann was thrown out at home on a grounder to third. Butler moved to second and Rooker to first on the fielder’s choice. JJ Bleday ground into a double play keeping the A’s off the scoreboard in the 10^th.

Noah Murdock issued two intentional walks to load the bases with two outs. He struck out Jordan Beck to end the inning and move the A’s into the 11^th inning. JJ Bleday was the placed runner at second. Shea Langeliers walked. Soderstrom grounded out to the first baseman, but it successfully moved the runners to second and third with just one out. Jacob Wilson singled to score Bleday and Langeliers. Then Gio Urshela double to drive in Wilson. That gave the Athletics a 6-3 lead.

Mason Miller entered the game in the bottom of the 11^th to try to shut down the Rockies. Mickey Moniak walked but was erased on a Miller double play ball. Miller struck out Tovar for the third out and logged his second save of the year.