Lawrence Butler gave the Athletics a shot to steal Friday night at Sutter Health Park, but the comeback stopped one step short.
Butler tied the game in the eighth with an RBI single off Orioles reliever Rico Garcia, then returned in the 10th with the A’s down a run, Zack Gelof on first and two outs on the board. He battled Alex Hoppe to a 1-2 count, but the at-bat ended with a groundout to second, and Baltimore escaped with a 4-3 win in West Sacramento.
That finish overshadowed a few encouraging signs for the A’s, starting with Jacob Lopez. The left-hander turned in another solid outing, allowing two runs - one earned - on three hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings.
Lopez’s recent stretch has looked nothing like the version that opened his season. After returning from Triple-A Las Vegas and rejoining the rotation on July 10, he’s been excellent, carrying a 2.18 ERA across his last nine starts with 54 strikeouts and 16 walks in 45 1/3 innings. Earlier this season, he posted a 6.75 ERA in his first 12 starts before getting optioned.
Friday also had a little extra meaning for Lopez, who was on the mound nearly a year to the day after a flexor strain against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park ended his season last year. This time, even with his command a bit off early and his pitch count climbing, he held it together after a two-run second and finished exactly at 100 pitches.
“For Jacob, early, just a little bit of lack of command,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Overall, his pitch count got up and we pushed him. For him to go five innings, I thought it was a gutsy performance tonight.”
Lopez said the experience in Seattle last year still sticks with him, especially because he felt everything else was in a good place at the time.
“It was just so weird in Seattle last year,” Lopez said. “I was pitching really well and I thought I was crushing it in the weight room and training room.
My body felt really well. It’s just, elbow stuff kind of happens.
You can’t outwork it. But I think just trying to have a dialogue with the trainers and the strength coach as best as I can to try to finish strong is the key.”
The bullpen also did its part to keep the game alive. Scott Blewett, Luis Medina and Hogan Harris combined for four scoreless innings after Lopez exited, helping push the game into extras. Brady Basso handled the 10th for a bit, retiring two of his first three hitters, but Baltimore broke through on back-to-back singles from Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to score two go-ahead runs.
There was also another useful night from Max Muncy, who keeps popping back into the picture after a season that’s featured plenty of movement between Oakland and the Minors. Now on his third stint with the A’s this year, Muncy picked up two hits and should keep getting chances over the final month.
“We’re really working on just pitch recognition and in-zone swing decisions for Muncy,” Kotsay said. “When he controls the zone and swings at strikes, good things happen. … For Muncy, I think it’s important that we see that for the rest of the season.”
In Other News...
As Let Another Home Opportunity Slip Away In Painful Loss
The Athletics kept hanging around Tuesday night at Sutter Health Park, and for a while it looked like they had found a way to turn a frustrating script into something better. Baltimore scored early and held the lead through much of the night, but Oakland got a lift from catcher Jonah Heim's home run and a strong start from Jacob Lopez, then pushed all the way back to even in the late innings.
By the time the game reached extra innings, the As had already shown enough fight to make the loss sting a little more. They tied it in the eighth and gave themselves a chance to cash in on a home field opportunity, only to come up short in a 4-3 defeat that fit too neatly into a pattern Oakland has been trying to escape. [Read more 🡒]
As Battered Pitching Staff Just Got A Needed Boost
For an Oakland pitching staff that has spent much of the season absorbing hits, Sunday brought a small but welcome bit of relief. The Athletics reinstated left-hander Jos Suarez from the 15-day injured list, giving the club another arm back at a time when every healthy pitcher matters, especially with Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson already out for the rest of the season.
To open the roster spot, Oakland sent left-hander Drew Rom to Triple-A Las Vegas, a reminder of how quickly the back end of the staff has been shuffled. The A's are also weighing a possible return for Shea Langeliers, though there is little incentive to push him given where they sit in the AL West, so the immediate focus remains on surviving the stretch run with enough healthy depth to finish the season. [Read more 🡒]
A's Depth Pieces Are Suddenly Giving Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
The As farm system had another lively night, with Las Vegas continuing to swing the bats and give the organization a little something to watch beyond the big club. The Aviators rolled past Sugar Land 11-3, and the lineup kept producing throughout the game as Cole Conn and Jack Winkler each chipped in multiple hits and runs to help keep the pressure on.
Luke Mann was the headliner, continuing a stretch that has started to make him impossible to ignore in the box score. His big night at third base was part of a broader minor league evening that also included wins for Tulsa, Great Lakes and Stockton, a reminder that Oakland has a few depth pieces beginning to put themselves on the radar at the right time. [Read more 🡒]