Big inning provides 3rd series win in row
Back in June 2021, when Bob Melvin still was the Oakland Athletics’ manager, when the Matts — Chapman and Olson — were the A’s starting corner infielders and Sean Murphy was their starting catcher, Oakland won five straight series.
The A’s hadn’t won more than two consecutive series since then before they scored six times with two outs in the sixth inning against Washington at the Coliseum on Sunday to overcome a 6-1 deficit and pull out a 7-6 decision.
That gave Oakland two wins in the three-game series with the Nationals. On their previous road trip, the A’s took two of three from the Tigers and two of three from the Rangers.
On Sunday, the A’s trailed 3-0 after four innings and had struck out five times against Washington starter Trevor Williams.
“The energy level was a little down in the dugout the first four innings,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “That was kind of addressed, and they responded, so it was good.”
Just how did Kotsay address the players?
“A few kind words (to) let them know I wasn’t real happy with how we were going about it,” Kotsay said.
“Appreciate Kots for that,” said right fielder Lawrence Butler, who went 3-for-3 with a walk. “I guess he felt he had to say it. It worked, so he might have to do it more often.”
Former Giants reliever Derek Law replaced Williams with the Nats up 6-1 with one out and runners at second and third in the sixth. Law struck out Seth Brown, but Brown was the lone man Law retired.
Tyler Nevin (2-for-2) and Butler delivered RBI singles before Law wild pitched home a run to make it 6-4. Two walks by Law loaded the bases, and he departed in favor of Jordan Weems.
The former Oakland right-hander issued a free pass to Darell Hernaiz, cutting the A’s deficit to 6-5 and giving Hernaiz his first big-league RBI.
Abraham Toro, who had drawn a walk to open the inning, then blooped a tworun single in front of diving left fielder Jesse Winker and just like that, the A’s had scored six times in the sixth and were up 7-6.
Dany Jimenez worked a scoreless seventh and Lucas Erceg a scoreless eighth.
Erceg put himself on the highlight reel when he knocked down Winker’s hot shot up the middle. Erceg chased after the ball as it rolled between the mound and first. The Cal alum displayed some ingenuity by using his glove to push the ball on the ground to first baseman Ryan Noda in time to get Winker. The glove fell off Erceg’s hand in the process, but it appeared no worse for the (non-)wear.
“I noticed the ball hitting off my foot and kind of shooting away,” Erceg said. “I just tried finding it as quickly as possible. Got it over to Noda and I just happened to get him out — so that was sick.”
Mason Miller is making hitters look ill. With a fastball reaching 102 mph, the right-hander struck out all three hitters in the ninth for his third save. Miller has racked up 15 Ks in eight innings this season.
Briefly: A’s third baseman J.D. Davis left the game after five innings because of a strained right groin. Davis made an excellent over-the-shoulder grab of CJ Abrams’ pop fly near the left-field line in the fourth. … Oakland starter Alex Wood gave up four runs on seven hits in 4 ⁄ innings. 1
3 The lefty struck out four, walked four and hit two batters. After four starts, Wood’s ERA sits at 8.10. … The Nationals entered Sunday leading the majors in stolen bases with 26. They swiped two Sunday. Catcher Shea Langeliers did cut down Trey Lipscomb trying to steal second in the third. … Former Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray is scheduled to start for St. Louis when the Cardinals open a threegame series at the Coliseum on Monday night.