San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Disputed strike tames Oakland rally
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The whole opener thing Saturday — for the first time ever, both teams used relievers for the first inning — was over quickly and was uneventful.
It was in the later innings that things went sour for Oakland, especially in the A’s usual favorite, the eighth. A disputed strike three strangled Oakland’s rally in the top of the inning, and in the bottom, Jeurys Familia endured his worst outing with Oakland, walking two before giving up a homer to Jake Bauers on, gulp, an 0-2 pitch.
The A’s lost 7-5 on the strength of that homer by Bauers and, with the Yankees losing Saturday, the A’s missed a chance to cut New York’s lead in the race for the top wild-card spot. Oak-
land is a game and a half behind the Yankees. The A’s trail the Astros by 3½ in the AL West.
Oakland loaded the bases with one out against Vidal Nuño in the eighth, but Marcus Semien struck out looking in a nine-pitch at-bat that ended with what appeared on replay and MLB.com’s pitch-tracking Gameday to be ball four, a pitch outside by several inches. Mark Canha then hit into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
“Everyone sees the box,” Semien said of the strike zone delineated on telecasts and included on the Gameday view online. “I looked at the box on the computer and it was not in the strike zone. That’s the facts.”
Semien added later, “That at-bat could have won the game for us, given us the lead so we could get (closer) Blake Treinen in there. There’s a runner on third, less than two outs, a big at-bat. Very frustrating to not come through.”
A’s manager Bob Melvin heatedly discussed the matter with home-plate umpire Larry Vanover after the inning and was ejected for his efforts.
“Obviously, I thought it was outside or I wouldn’t have been arguing like I did,” Melvin said. “It is what it is . ... He’s trying to grind through that at-bat and drive in a run, you get a call that’s not a strike and now you don’t have the advantage where we were.”
Matt Chapman hit his 23rd homer in the ninth, off former Giants closer Sergio Romo.
Liam Hendriks made his fifth start as the “opener” and worked a scoreless inning, allowing a walk and hitting a batter. In the second, Dean Kiekhefer made his first appearance in 11 days, but he was the logical choice with four left-handers up in a row for the Rays and the A’s other lefty, Ryan Buchter, reserved for more high-leverage situations. Kevin Kiermaier reached on an infield single, then Brandon Lowe belted a homer to right.
“We had lefties in a row and were going to go with Kiekhefer there,” Melvin said. “Makes a good pitch to Kiermaier, breaks his bat ... then makes a bad pitch to Lowe and it’s two runs.”
Bauers followed with a base hit, but Tampa Bay didn’t get another hit out of the infield until, with Joey Wendle at first after a walk, Kiermaier tripled to right against Yusmeiro Petit. Bauers added a sacrifice fly to put the Rays up 4-2.
Wendle, the former A’s prospect, opened the eighth with another walk, and Familia also walked Lowe before giving up just the third homer he has allowed all year. Familia said through interpreter Juan Dorado he intended the fastball to be up and in.
Familia has allowed five runs over his past six outings, and he said, “Lately, I’ve been missing, getting behind in the count, and it’s something I need to correct, something I need to work on.”
Familia, an All-Star closer acquired from the Mets in July, was unscored upon in his first eight outings with Oakland, but he has eight walks in his past seven appearances, and Melvin thinks he has been a little too quick with his delivery.
“You’re going to go through periods through the year where you’re not as good as the first few times we saw him, when he was perfect,” Melvin said. “Just a little bit of a rocky bump right now, but he’ll be fine.”
Chad Pinder, who got the first crack at the leadoff spot Saturday against opener Ryne Stanek, singled to start the third inning, and Chapman and Jed Lowrie followed with base hits, with Lowrie’s sending in Pinder.
That was Oakland’s last hit until, with two outs in the sixth, Matt Olson hit his 27th homer, putting a pitch from Yonny Chirinos into the last row in right.
In the seventh, Semien singled off Chirinos, and the A’s sent Matt Joyce up to hit for catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash brought in lefty Adam Kolarek instead, so Melvin lifted Joyce for Canha and Canha doubled in Semien. Canha later scored on a passed ball to tie the game.