Gray cherishes what's likely last start in Oakland
OAKLAND >> St. Louis Cardinals starter Sonny Gray made sure he had a positive experience in what might have been his final start at the Coliseum.
Gray, a fan favorite in Oakland from 2013 through 2017, gave up four hits in six innings, allowing just one runner to reach third base in what became a 3-1 Cardinals win over the A's on Monday before an announced crowd of 5,508.
For Gray, it was the 100th win of his major league career, as he returned to where it all started and put his former team in its place.
The A's are planning to leave Oakland at the end of this season and play in Sacramento from 2025 to 2027.
“It does hold a special part,” Gray said of the A's. “This is the team that drafted me. This is the team that gave me a shot. This is the team that believed in me. (These are) the fans that helped shape my career. I always enjoy coming back here.”
In six innings, Gray, 34, mixed his pitches beautifully and threw nearly 70% strikes (50 of 72) with no walks and six strikeouts. After throwing five shutout innings in his first start, Gray is 2-0 and unscored upon in 11 innings.
Gray entered the big leagues with a sharp fastball and a crackling breaking ball that belied his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame. He has grown up as a pitcher and he was at his efficient best against his former team.
Esteury Ruiz gave A's manager Mark Kotsay and general manager David Forst something to think about in the eighth inning, hitting a 406foot pinch homer off JoJo Romero to break up the shutout. Ruiz was activated just before game time to replace
Bay Area News Group
third baseman J.D. Davis, who went on the 10-day injured list with an abductor strain.
Shipped to Triple-A after a 3-for-7 start, Ruiz hit a 0-1 pitch deep into the left field seats at 106.8 miles per hour. He was pinch-hitting against the left-handed Romero in place of Lawrence Butler.
Ruiz has been wearing out the ball since his demotion, adding power to the speed that produced an American League-leading 67 steals as a rookie last season. “I don't even think about it,” Ruiz said through a translator regarding his newfound power. “I just try to get good at-bats, hit the ball as best I can and if a home run comes, it comes and it will be really welcome.”
Having Ruiz sent to Triple-A wasn't well-received by the fan base. If there was any bitterness by Ruiz, he kept it well hidden.
“Of course, you get sad when you get sent down,” Ruiz said. “You want to be here, but I love playing baseball. So if it's here or TripleA, I'm going to do my work and do my best and enjoy the game at the same time. But I definitely want to be here.”