Profar makes amends for gaffe, lifts Oakland
Poor pivot on double play offset by tiebreaking hits
Jurickson Profar delivered two tiebreaking hits to atone for his role in the double-reversal of a double play, and the Oakland Athletics beat the New York Yankees 8-2 Friday night.
Profar connected in the second for a 1-0 lead and added a two-run double in the sixth for a 4-2 edge. That made up for his f lawed footwork on the pivot on a blown double play in the fourth that led to a Yankees run.
Oakland pulled within a halfgame of Cleveland for the top AL wild card, and held its one-game edge over Tampa Bay for the second. The A’s swept a three-game series against the AL East-leading Yankees in Oakland last week.
New York ended a four-game winning streak hours after placing Gio Urshela on the 10-day injured list, giving the club a record 29 players on the IL this season.
CC Sabathia was pulled after three innings with a recurrence of his ongoing knee issues, and Tommy Kahnle (3-1) allowed three runs in the sixth.
Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson (11-9) pitched two-run ball over six innings. He allowed six hits, struck out one and induced 14 groundouts.
New York went ahead 2-1 after the unusual replay challenge. Austin Romine hit into an apparent 6-4-3 double play, but replays showed Profar pulled his foot off the bag before catching a feed from shortstop Marcus Semien. Profar was f lipped by a hard, clean slide from Brett Gardner, and his throw was shown to be a hair late to first.
The Yankees took the lead on Mike Tauchman’s groundball double play the next at-bat.
Kahnle blew that advantage two innings later. Seth Brown delivered a pinch-hit, RBI double to tie it before Profar’s two-run knock.
Brown added two RBI singles after that while Oakland pulled away. Mark Canha had an RBI triple off Cory Gearrin in the seventh, and Semien hit his 25th homer leading off the ninth.
Profar’s homer off Sabathia was his 18th of the season and second in two games.
Struggling former closer Blake Treinen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for Oakland. He struck out two, and Profar made a diving stop and two-hop throw on Romine’s grounder to end it.
Bronx beat
Urshela’s IL stint pushed New York past the 2016 Dodgers, who set a record with 28 players on the then disabled list.
“It’s been one of the story lines of our season,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Losing guys and getting guys back.”
Sabathia made his third start since an IL stint caused by right knee pain, and his balky landing leg troubled him again. He lacked his usual pinpoint command, and Sabathia was pulled after 48 pitches because the pain in his surgically repaired knee was “a 10,” he said.
“It was hurting all night tonight, for sure,” he added.
New York said no tests were planned.
Sabathia visited with a doctor during the game and believes he’ll have the knee drained and get a cortisone shot Saturday. He still hopes to return this season but is waiting to be further evaluated.
Slugging first baseman Luke Voit was activated. He’d been out since July 30 with a sports hernia. He drilled hard singles in his first two at-bats.
Trainer’s room
Yankees: CF Aaron Hicks (right flexor strain) was expected to meet with a doctor prior to the game . ... RHP Dellin Betances (right shoulder impingement) will throw a bullpen at the team’s complex in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday . ... LHP Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery) pitched 12/3 innings with Triple-a Scranton/wilkesbarre, allowing a run and striking out three.