San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Oakland wins on walk-off wild pitch
Playoff spot can be wrapped in home finale Sunday
Sunday will dawn bright and full of promise at the Coliseum. The A’s, playing their final regular-season home game of 2018, will head to the ballpark with a chance to secure a playoff spot for the first time in four years.
This scenario counted as wildly improbable on Opening Day, to say the least. But now the A’s stand on the brink of the postseason, after shaving their magic number to one with Saturday night’s 3-2 victory over Minnesota before 36,731 boisterous spectators.
Stephen Piscotty raced home with the winning run in the ninth inning, when Twins reliever Trevor Hildenberger uncorked a wild pitch with two outs and the bases loaded.
Piscotty’s teammates streamed out of the dugout in jubilation.
The victory clinched at least a tie for one of the American League’s two wild-card spots. The A’s officially can stamp their ticket to October on Sunday, a tantalizing scenario likely to create an electric atmosphere (again) at the old concrete bowl alongside Interstate 880.
“Hopefully, it will be similar to tonight,” shortstop Marcus Semien said. “It was really loud. When this place is packed, it can be one of the loudest around. That puts pressure on the other team and gets us going.”
Piscotty opened the ninth with a line-drive double (his 41st of the season) down the left-field line. Ramon Laureano then struck out, Semien reached on shortstop Jorge Polanco’s error and the Twins intentionally walked pinchhitter Matt Joyce to load the bases.
Mark Canha fouled off several two-strike pitches before ultimately striking out. Then, on Hildenberger’s first pitch to Matt Chapman, the ball got past catcher Willians Astudillo and Piscotty charged home.
It was the first time the A’s won on a walk-off wild pitch since April 26, 1997, against Kansas City. This year’s A’s also improved to a majorleague-best 31-13 in one-run games.
“We always have a really good feeling in the ninth inning if we have a chance to win,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Once Stephen leads off with the double, I don’t think anyone in our dugout didn’t think we’d get it done.”
If the A’s beat the Twins again on Sunday — or if Tampa Bay loses to Toronto in a game starting shortly after 10 a.m. (PDT) — then Oakland is assured of reaching the playoffs. That’s a startling reality, given how much the A’s struggled the previous three seasons and all the pitching injuries to engulf this year’s team.
But Melvin has leaned on a revitalized offense and reliable bullpen to reach 94-61 with seven games left. Semien sparked the offense with a two-run homer Saturday night, Mike Fiers provided another strong start and Ryan Buchter and Blake Treinen both were clutch in relief.
Treinen worked a scoreless ninth inning to boost his record to 9-2 and lower his ERA to 0.81. And now only one win (or Rays loss) separates the A’s from a trip to the playoffs, most likely a wild-card game against the New York Yankees.
Asked about the atmosphere he expects Sunday, Melvin said, “It should be pretty rowdy. You can’t help but think of 2012, when we came back and swept Texas.”
Fiers, as usual, pitched well for the A’s. He allowed one run in six innings, extending his impressive roll since Oakland acquired him Aug. 6 from Detroit. Fiers is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA in nine starts with the A’s.
He has developed faith in his teammates in close games.
“These are the types of games that happen in the playoffs, so it’s good to see,” Fiers said of the outcome. “I’ve been here two months, and it’s impressive to see how the guys go about their business.
“If you keep us close, it’s only a matter of time before we put up runs.”