Rangers turn it around quickly during seventh in triumph over the A’s
It took just three pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday night for the A’s strong performance to turn on its head.
Righty Yusmeiro Petit entered the game and his first three offerings were blasted into play. The first was a gametying home run from Nate Lowe, the second a double from Eli White, the third an RBI single from Brock Holt to give the Texas Rangers a lead they never relinquished in their 5-3 victory over the A’s in Arlington.
Oakland has lost four of its last five games, dropping it to 45-31 on the season and two games behind the AL Westleading Houston Astros.
As late as the seventh inning, the A’s appeared in control of
the contest. Right-handed starter James Kaprielian limited the Rangers to two runs on four hits in six strong innings and the Oakland offense sprung to life in the seventh, scoring three runs on five hits, including a monstrous solo home run to dead center field from catcher Sean Murphy, his 10th long ball of the season. It was the A’s lone offensive production of the night as they left eight runners on base and went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Oakland’s late offensive push was enough to chase Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz from the game after he held the A’s scoreless through the sixth.
But the Oakland bullpen wasn’t able to support Kaprielian’s strong start and the offense’s late push. Petit surrendered two runs and his team’s lead in the seventh and righty Cam Bedrosian allowed Rangers rookie center fielder Adolis Garcia to smack his second home run of the night in the eighth. The A’s have been outhomered 7-4 through three games in Arlington.
Oakland’s bullpen performance has been of concern in its last five games. Its relievers have surrendered 10 earned runs in their last 13 innings pitched, resulting in an unsightly 6.92 ERA among the worst in baseball over that stretch.
The A’s will look to get back on track and earn a series split in Thursday’s series finale against the Rangers. The game is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. PT. A’s ace Chris Bassitt is expected to start with 23-yearold lefty Kolby Allard set to oppose him.
Romo’s bizarre protest
Major League Baseball has directed umpires to routinely check every pitcher’s glove, hat, belt and hands for banned foreign substances under new protocols. While most people in the game, including A’s manager Bob Melvin, have applauded the umpires for creating a smooth process amid a sticky situation, the protocols have created a commotion in a few instances.
After giving up a home run in the A’s 13-6 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday at Globe Life Park, A’s reliever Sergio Romo was captured on camera tossing his hat and glove in front of the inspecting umpire and pulling his pants halfway down to his knees.
“He’s a playful guy,” Melvin said. “I don’t think he meant anything by it. I will credit the umpires for the way they’ve handled it. They’ve been fantastic. Try to make light of it. Smile with guys and do it quickly. That won’t happen again. The playful side came out. I don’t think he meant anything by it. But umpires are trying to do their job as well.”
Melvin has said the A’s players have been OK with the new protocols, and have been impressed with how the umpires are handling the checks.
“I won’t get to that point. I saw it. I was on the bike getting work on and saw it,” A’s starter Cole Irvin said of the Romo incident.
“He gave up a home run, he’s pretty pissed off. I think he just tapped into his emotions. Whether you think it’s childish or think he did it out of frustration, I don’t think it needs to go that far. But it is what it is. We have to do it. Looking at that, I was kind of surprised to be honest.”
Hours prior, telecasts captured brouhaha between Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer and Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi getting into it during Scherzer’s foreign substance check. In video clips, Scherzer is shown unbelting, tossing his hat and glove on the ground and throwing his hands up in frustration.
Girardi and Scherzer exchanged stares at each other in a brief altercation between dugouts. Girardi was ejected from the game.