Oakland walks back from the brink
SEATTLE — On Saturday night at a packed, loud Safeco Field, the A’s faced their most frequent tormentor and the likelihood of slipping out of a playoff spot altogether.
With a sense of unexpected drama that harked back to the 2012 A’s, though, Oakland hung tough with All-Star Felix Hernandez, then beat Seattle closer Fernando Rodney in the 10th inning. Rodney put three men aboard, one intentionally, and with two outs, walked Jed Lowrie on four pitches.
The all-walk attack gave the A’s a 3-2 victory over Seattle, keeping Oakland in the AL’s top wild-card spot by half a game over Kansas City and 11⁄
2 games over Seattle.
“We needed a game like this to go our way,” A’s starter Sonny Gray said. “Hopefully, this can jump-start us. … This was a big game for us — everyone knew going in how tough it would be. It’s good to pull it off in the end.”
It was by far the most daunting game of the trip for Oakland; Hernandez entered the day 19-7 lifetime against the A’s, including 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA this season.
“No question about it, this was a huge win for us,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Hopefully, we can build upon this one. It’s one thing to score some runs at Chicago; it’s another thing against a guy who’s been tough on us and win a game against their two best pitchers.”
Luke Gregerson worked a 1-2-3 ninth for Oakland, retiring Endy Chavez, Robinson Cano and Kendrys Morales to get the win (“He was terrific, nine or 10 pitches through the middle of their order,” Melvin said). Sean Doolittle earned the save in his first appearance since coming off the disabled list Friday.
“Yeah, right? Easing back into it,” Doolittle joked. “That was awesome, I haven’t had an adrenaline rush like that in a long time. It was such an emotional game, the way our guys battled.”
The A’s have not won backto-back games since Aug. 22-23, a remarkable span for a contending team, and Doolittle cautioned against assuming that beating King Felix would cure all of Oakland’s woes.
“We can’t get caught up in that.” Doolittle said. “Even though it’s a huge win for us, it only counts as one. … We have to come ready to play tomorrow. ”
Rodney walked Coco Crisp to open the 10th, and Sam Fuld moved Crisp to second with a sacrifice bunt. Josh Donaldson was walked intentionally, pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo walked to load the bases, then Brandon Moss struck out looking, bringing up Lowrie.
“You realize the situation … but I’m not going up looking for a walk,” Lowrie said of Rodney’s wildness in the inning. “I’m looking for a good pitch to hit, and I never got it.”
Eric Sogard, the A’s lighthitting second baseman, was the team’s top asset against Hernandez, with three hits, including an RBI single in the seventh inning that sent in Josh Reddick from third to give Oakland a 2-1 lead.
Oakland’s first run came on Donaldson’s line-drive homer to left off Hernandez, Donaldson’s 27th homer of the season but just his second since Aug. 13.
Gray went eight innings and allowed only five hits, two walks and two runs, including a solo homer by Cano.
Monday is the A’s final day off of the regular season, giving the team a chance to make some tweaks to the rotation, which has not been set for the coming week. Sunday’s starter, Jon Lester, is currently in line to start the wild-card game Sept. 30, should the A’s get there, and if everything stays as is, Jason Hammel would work the final game of the regular season.
If the A’s push back Hammel behind the other four starters this week, Gray would line up for the final game of the regular season.