Bullpen sparkles in win
out. Chafin thrives on weak contact. The left-hander averages less than a strikeout per inning. He recorded two, anyway, throwing seven sliders in nine pitches, to leave the potential tying run on second.
The A’s expanded their lead in the ninth. A 7-2 win gave them a series victory in Kansas City and closer resembled the pitching-heavy formula that has fueled them this season.
“Obviously for us to bounce back after such a tough loss in the first game shows a good bit of resiliency and not getting down,” utilityman Chad Pinder said. “You’ve got to like that going forward.”
Blackburn’s first inning did not promise a long start. The right-hander walked his second batter on four pitches. His next, Perez, crushed a cutter for a two-run homer, his 45th of the season. It tied Perez with Johnny Bench for most in one season by a catcher. Two more hitters struck singles. The A’s bullpen began to stir.
Blackburn then settled in. Shortstop Elvis Andrus speared Hunter Dozier’s liner to end the first inning, the first of nine hitters in a row retired by Blackburn. Dozier doubled with two outs in the fourth; Blackburn induced a popout by Kyle Isbel. Sebastian Rivero singled to start the fifth; Blackburn erased him on a doubleplay grounder.
“We talked about how they’re going to be aggressive and they came out aggressive,” Blackburn said. Catcher Sean Murphy “and I talked about it throughout the game: If they’re going to be aggressive, then that’s fine, but let’s keep on moving it out, make them swing at our pitches and don’t come in to them.”
Blackburn, making his sixth start since being recalled from Triple-A in mid-August, had not finished the fourth in his prior two. He recorded his first major-league win since 2018, ending a stretch of eight starts without one.
“I’ve always kind of thought I’d be back here to help these guys, no matter what time (of season) it is,” Blackburn said. “Yeah, it is my first win. But this late in the season, where we are right now, it’s just a huge win for us in general.”
Oakland’s offense awoke in an odd third inning. Starter Daniel Lynch walked Andrus and hit Tony Kemp on the right arm. Josh Harrison singled to score Andrus. A misplay on Starling Marte’s grounder loaded the bases for Matt Olson with no outs.
Olson worked a full count. Lynch did not finish it. A trainer emerged to check on him after the fifth pitch, and Lynch departed with what the Royals termed calf tightness. Reliever Joel Payamps replaced him and almost escaped the jam. Olson hit a liner at second baseman Whit Merrifield, who doubled Marte off first base.
With a right-hander pitching, Melvin played a bench card. Jed Lowrie, limited to batting left-handed because of a wrist issue, replaced designated hitter Khris Davis. Lowrie sent a grounder to the right side that caromed off first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Merrifield corralled it, with an apparent chance to throw out Lowrie. Merrifield did not take it. Kemp scored and Pinder added a two-run single for a 4-2 lead.
The A’s offense went quietly until the ninth. Jake Brentz hit Andrus, the 89th time an Oakland player was hit by a pitch this season, a team record, and Andrus scored on three wild pitches. Harrison added an RBI double for his fourth hit of the game. Harrison has 10 RBIs in his past six games from the leadoff spot.
“As much as we can’t look ahead, we can’t look in the past, either,” Pinder said. “Regardless if it was good, bad, ugly in any facet of the game, we have to focus on what we have in front of us.”