The A’s found their way back into the win column Monday night in Arizona, beating the Diamondbacks 5-2 with a mix of timely hitting, a strong start from Jeffrey Springs, and a bullpen that finished the job.
It wasn’t a night built on thunder. It was singles, patience, and just enough pop to matter.
Oakland piled up 15 hits, and 13 of them were singles. The only extra-base damage came from a pair of solo homers that gave the A’s an early cushion before things got messy in the sixth.
Joshua Kuroda-Grauer got the offense moving in the second inning, launching the first home run of his career to left-center and putting the A’s in front 1-0. The rookie infielder finished 2-for-3 and is now hitting .417/.435/.583 through his first 60 at bats.
He later left the game after taking a hit to a sensitive area and was replaced by Donovan Walton in the top of the sixth. Colby Thomas also exited after being hit by a pitch on the wrist in the third inning.
Jacob Wilson added another solo shot later, his sixth homer of the season and second in the past three games. That made it 2-0 and gave Springs a little more breathing room while he was carving through Arizona’s lineup.
For five innings, Springs looked like the version of himself Oakland had been waiting to see. The left-hander allowed just two singles, a double, and one walk through that stretch, leaning on weak contact and keeping the Diamondbacks quiet. He was efficient, sharp, and in control.
Then the sixth inning happened.
Manager Mark Kotsay sent Springs back out for one more frame, and the move backfired fast. Springs gave up a double, a two-run homer, and a single to the first three hitters he faced in the inning before being pulled. By then, the lead was gone and the damage was done.
Jeffrey Springs: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 78 pitches
Even with the rough finish, it was still the kind of outing that can matter for a pitcher trying to reset after the All-Star break. Springs should have a few more turns in the rotation, with his next start lined up for this weekend in Minnesota against the Twins.
Oakland turned to Luis Medina after Springs exited, and he had to work around some trouble created by a throwing error by Langeliers on a stolen base. Medina escaped the jam with a lineout to center and kept the game moving to the bullpen battle.
That’s when the A’s offense answered again.
With the score tied, back-to-back singles opened the door, but a bunt pop out and a strikeout made it look like the inning might slip away. Tommy White then reached on a comebacker to the pitcher after some hustle and replay help, and Mark Kotsay made the move to pinch-hit Jeff McNeil for Alika Williams in a bases-loaded, two-out spot. McNeil came through with a two-run single to put the A’s back on top.
Oakland added another run after that on a wild pitch that allowed White to score, stretching the lead to 5-2 with nine outs left.
Medina stayed on for a second inning of work in the seventh, Jose Suarez breezed through a 1-2-3 eighth, and Hogan Harris handled the save chance in the ninth. Harris let the tying run come to the plate, but he finished the game with a strikeout looking and picked up his seventh save of the year.
White finished 4-for-5, and Kuroda-Grauer’s first big league homer headlined a good night for the rookies. The win was Oakland’s second of the second half, and it moved the club to 43-57 a hundred games into the season.
The series continues Tuesday night, with right-hander Jack Perkins set to make his first start of the second half. Perkins has had a rough run in the rotation this season, posting an 8.10 ERA in six starts after opening the year in the bullpen. Arizona has not yet announced its starter.
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The Athletics were forced into another roster reset Friday, placing right-hander Mark Leiter on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement and infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on the 10-day injured list. Leiters move comes retroactive to July 19, while Kuroda-Grauers absence leaves Oakland juggling the infield after a rough night that added more strain to an already thin roster.
To fill the openings, the As recalled right-hander Hayden Juenger and infielder Max Muncy from Triple-A Las Vegas. Juenger, a recent trade pickup, gives Oakland another arm to lean on, while Muncy is back for another stint after being optioned earlier in the month, a reminder of how quickly the club has had to keep shuffling pieces just to stay afloat. [Read more 🡒]
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Hayden Juenger and Max Muncy were recalled in the corresponding moves, but the bigger concern is how quickly these absences can stack up for a team already leaning on limited options. Leiters injury comes at an awkward time, too, with the right-handers availability and value becoming part of the backdrop as the deadline approaches and the As keep trying to hold the roster together. [Read more 🡒]
Jonah Heim Is Suddenly Part Of A's Deadline Conversation
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One of those names is Jonah Heim, who has suddenly become part of a deadline conversation because of where he sits on Oaklands roster. Backing up Shea Langeliers makes Heim look more movable than most catchers, and his expiring contract only adds to the appeal for a team trying to protect itself against a longer absence from Teel. [Read more 🡒]