Errors set tone in Boston rout
A’s manager Bob Melvin was talking about Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez before the game Sunday when he said, “Guys aren’t seeing the ball very well against him.”
Turns out Melvin’s players weren’t seeing anything well Sunday.
They missed teammates on throws as they committed three errors in the first five innings to help hand the Red Sox a 12-3 win at the Coliseum.
“There’s a psychology to not playing good defense,” Melvin said afterward. “It not only
costs you, but the bad start permeates in the dugout.”
There would be no first four-game home sweep of Boston for the first time in 85 years. And there would be no third straight good start for Andrew Triggs, who fell behind 4-3 with the help of his teammates before giving up a two-run homer to Mitch Moreland in the sixth inning.
Oakland actually had taken a 3-2 lead on Chad Pinder’s two-run homer to left in the fourth inning. It wasn’t the moon shot that Pinder hit Saturday, but it was still the rookie’s fifth homer and seemed to more than make up for his fielding error in the second inning. It was also the A’s American League-high 64th home run of the season.
But the A’s also lead the major leagues in errors with 42, as well as in unearned runs with 30. And Oakland quickly gave the lead back in the fifth inning for good. Oakland catcher Josh Phegley sailed a throw into center field on Christian Vasquez’s stolen base, and Vasquez scored from third on Mookie Betts’ single to tie the game.
Betts then took off for second on a hit-and-run play, and when shortstop Adam Rosales broke to cover second, Dustin Pedroia grounded to shortstop — where no one was. The speedy Betts did not stop running and scored from first base as the ball slowly rolled into left-center, taking advantage of left fielder Khris Davis’ arm.
That was all the runs that Rodriguez (3-1) needed, as he retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced before leaving after eight innings. (Boston tacked on a run in the eighth and then five more in the ninth off sacrificial reliever Josh Smith.)
Rodriguez wasn’t as dominant as he was when carried a no-hitter through 72⁄3 innings against the A’s on Sept. 4, but he didn’t have to be. He allowed six hits and three runs in eight innings, striking out eight and walking one.
“He’s a tough customer,” said Melvin, whose hitters were 0-for-23 against Rodriguez going into the game. (Marcus Semien, on the disabled list, had the only hit against him in the 2016 onehitter.) His teammates quickly gave him a 2-0 lead Sunday when Betts walked and then scored when Pedroia singled and right fielder Mark Canha fired a throw into left field. Pedroia later would score on Hanley Ramirez’s sacrifice fly.
The A’s, home runs aside, aren’t good enough to make as many mistakes as they do. They’re 20-24 and have a day off to refocus before the Marlins hit town Tuesday.
“I told the guys it was a good series and to enjoy the off day,” Melvin said. “Once you get the first three, you want the sweep, but (the Red Sox) were pretty persistent today.”