A’s fall to Yankees, tumble in standings

OAKLAND — At a point in the season when the cream rises to the top, the Oakland A’s are sinking. Fast.

Series against the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners were an opportunity for a contending A’s team to prove they belonged with the best of them. Facing at least a series split with the Yankees after a 8-2 drubbing that extended a six-game losing streak. Their first six-game losing streak since they lost their first six games to start this season.

The A’s went on a 13-game winning streak after that one back in April, ignited by the long season ahead. Now they may be running out of time.

Oakland tumbled 6 1/2 games back of the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West and 3 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the second wild card spot, 6 1/2 games back of the Yankees for the first wild card spot.

Hoping to stop the skid, the A’s faced a Goliath in Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, who came as advertised throwing 100 mph four-seam fastballs he spun with befuddling off-speed offerings to blank the A’s through six innings. The A’s best shot came in the fifth inning, when they loaded the bases on a pair of hits from Elvis Andrus and Tony Kemp and a walk by Matt Olson.

With two outs, third baseman Gio Urshela robbed Josh Harrison of an RBI hit with a quick-twitch catch. Cole struck out the A’s in order in the next inning to complete six scoreless inning with nine strikeouts.

The A’s at least erased a six-run deficit in Thursday’s loss. Friday’s five-run deficit was insurmountable. Although A’s starter Sean Manaea’s sinker and changeup looked sharper, he continually found himself working back behind counts and the Yankees hit three home runs off him over two innings.

Giancarlo Stanton hit another stunner 472 feet into the second deck over the suites in left field for New York’s first run and Luke Voit soon followed with a solo home run into center field.

Aaron Judge hit the dagger, a three-run home run in the fifth inning that prompted Manaea’s removal with one out. Deolis Guerra finished off the inning and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Manaea allowed all five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

With Cole out of the game, the A’s took advantage of the Yankees bullpen. Against Joely Rodriguez, pinch hitter Chad Pinder drew a walk and Starling Marte singled. Olson hit a chopper the other way past Urshela’s glove to score Pinder, and Marte scored on an errant throw.

While the A’s have gotten a boost from new additions like Marte, Harrison and Gomes offensively, they look more affected by players they’ve lost and slumps.

The A’s entered the game batting .207 with 29 runs scored over their last 10 games, averaging 2.9 runs per game — the league average is around 4.5 — and were 12-for-70 with runners in scoring position.

Ramon Laureano’s absence because of an 80game suspension is felt. Mark Canha is in the thick of slump that has him batting .141 in August with a .270 on-base percentage, numbers that bumped him from the leadoff spot he’s held since the beginning of the season. Canha missed time from late-June to midJuly with a hip strain, and hasn’t quite been his firsthalf self, where batted .255 with an .826 OPS.