A’s drop key series to Texas Rangers
OAKLAND — Both American League wild card spots are up for the taking. The Oakland A’s dropped a prime opportunity to gain some steam.
With a 4-3 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon, the A’s dropped a series that, on paper, posed as a chance to beat up on a team long eliminated from postseason contention. Instead, Oakland remains on the outside looking into the wild card picture.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing at this point. You have to win series,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We’re going to have to run off some, either, series in a row or games in a row. There’s still time left to get on a little bit of a run. It felt like we were, but yesterday was a speed bump for us. We’re going to have to go into Kansas City and look to play a little better baseball than we played in the last couple innings and today.”
Momentum looked to have started with a threegame win streak that extended into Game 1 of this series. But as has been the case all year, the A’s took another big step back. After the game, the A’s sat tied with the Seattle Mariners three games back of the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays for a wild card spot. The New York Yankees sit between them, a half-game back of a spot. With the Blue Jays the only team involved riding momentum, the race is begging for another hot team to get involved.
James Kaprielian and Daulton Jefferies
Kaprielian, Sunday’s starter, is deep into unfa
miliar territory — his 105 innings are the most he's pitched in his professional career. Because of this, Kaprielian wasn't going to pitch beyond the fifth inning, Melvin said. But he still struggled to get there, allowing four runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.
“I like what I feel, which is frustrating since the results aren't there,” Kaprielian said. “Knowing that it's the last few starts of the season, I think it's pretty easy to see I'm frustrating right now because we aren't having the success I want to be able to provide for this team.”
Kaprielian pounded the strike zone, but the Rangers were just as aggressive early and made him throw 70 pitches. before knocking him out of the game with runners on the corners, two outs in the fourth inning. It marked the third consecutive start for Kaprielian in which he's been unable to pitch beyond the fourth inning. He struck out five and walked one batter.
The A's collected two hits to lead off a fruitless first inning against Texas starter Taylor Hearn, then didn't get a hit until Yan Gomes' solo home run to start the fifth inning. Starling Marte's sharp infield single, league-leading 45th stolen base combined with Matt Olson's 34th home run of the year (19th off a left-hander) put the A's within one run and ultimately kicked Hearn out of the game having thrown 80 pitches in seven innings.
Daulton Jefferies kept the Rangers from tacking on, getting the final out in the fourth inning and going three more scoreless with two strikeouts and three hits allowed. Since recalled from Triple-a at the end of August, Jefferies has given up three earned runs over 10 innings in four appearances.
“He's comfortable now. When you first get to the big leagues, there's nerves involved,” Melvin said. “When you realize you throw the ball over the plate and your stuff plays, there's confidence that grows from there. Even though he's in a game at the time that's four to nothing, it's important that he keeps us there.”
Jake Diekman pitched a clean eighth inning with two strikeouts and Lou Trivino a scoreless ninth — ended on a 13-pitch battle with Adolis Garcia — to keep the door open.
But the A's didn't record a hit after Olson's home run.
“We're close to getting hot an we've done a good job of battling and grinding,” Kaprielian said. “I'm extremely frustrated. I haven't been able to put up a good start against that team at all. They grinded me today, too. I want to finish strong and help this team win and I haven't been doing that. I hold myself to a high standard and want to contribute and I haven't been doing that. So that game is on me.”
Up next
The A's head on their secondto-last road trip for two more series against teams with losing records. First up is the Kansas City Royals — who they've got a 3-1 series lead on. Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea — both off strong seven-inning outings against the Chicago White Sox — will start the series in Kansas City. Then they'll head to Los Angeles for three games against the Angels with a 12-4 season series lead on their division foe.