CRUCIAL A’S ERROR LEADS TO GAME 1 LOSS
Astros score four runs in sixth during two-out rally
The Oakland A’s were on the wrong side of a role reversal in Game 1 of the American League Division Series as the Houston Astros rallied to win 10-5 on Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
The A’s otherwise staunch bullpen blew a sixth-inning lead while Houston’s young and shaky bullpen shut down any concept of a comeback as the A’s suffered their eighth consecutive loss in the first game of a postseason series dating to 2006.
But the turning point came on a costly error from Marcus Semien on what should have been Josh Reddick’s inningending groundout and a 1-2-3 inning for J.B. Wendelken. The sixth-inning misplay turned
into a four-run rally that gave the Astros a lead they wouldn’t surrender.
“Errors happen,” Chris Bassitt, Oakland’s starter Monday, said. “We can’t let that snowball into four runs as a pitcher.”
Considering all the accolades and praise the A’s infield defense has garnered over the last few years, it’s clearer now that the one being fielded for the postseason isn’t the infield we’ve grown accustomed to. Matt Chapman’s loss — his freakish ability to simplify the team’s infield defense by playing a third base/shortstop hybrid — was felt.
A new-look infield composed of new acquisitions in Tommy La Stella and Jake Lamb, along with Semien anchored by ever-consistent Matt Olson at first, showed its growing pains as they struggled through a handful of infield hits and missed double-play opportunities early on.
Bassitt is right, errors happen. If the Astros don’t leverage it into a demoralizing go-ahead rally,
perhaps Semien’s blunder blows into the smoky Los Angeles sky unnoticed. Instead, it hit hard, swinging the momentum from the A’s dugout over to the Astros.
“Two out, nobody on, next thing you know they have four runs,” manager Bob Melvin said. “You’ve got to give them some credit, too.”
Wendelken, one of the A’s most consistent relievers, couldn’t pick up Semien. Martín Maldonado singled to flip the lineup back to Houston’s murderer’s row. George Springer, José Altuve and Michael Brantley pounded a double and pair of singles to flip a 5-3 A’s lead into a 6-5 Houston edge.
After that, the lockdown A’s bullpen couldn’t stop the leaking. Correa milked his second home run of the game, a solo shot dagger to center in the seventh off Lou Trivino, that widened Houston’s advantage to 8- 5. The shortstop held a hand to his ear while passing the A’s
dugout as an apparent acknowledgment of the comments he made after sweeping the Minnesota Twins in their wild- card series.
“I know a lot of people are mad. I know a lot of people don’t want to see us here. But what are they gonna say now?” Correa said after the sweep.
The Astros collected 16 hits on Monday and the 10 runs allowed tied for third-most in franchise history for a postseason game.
Ba ssit t shou ldered three of those runs. His sinker, cutter, fastball, curveball blend wasn’t hitting the strike zone like it had been during a five- game stretch in which he accumulated a 0.53 ERA and .230 opponents batting average.
He left a curveball and sinker over the plate for Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa, who tied the score 3-3 with a pair of home runs.