Montas’ gem snaps A’s losing streak
OAKLAND >> Frankie Montas is on a roll, which is good news for the A’s playoff hopes.
The right-hander pitched seven shutout innings for the second consecutive time Saturday afternoon, helping the A’s snap a six-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the red-hot New York Yankees. The Yankees saw their 13-game winning streak come to a close despite Aaron Judge’s sixth home run in 15 games.
“It feels good to give high-fives again,” Montas said. “It felt like all of us did a little bit, did our part to win. We have to bring that mentality into tomorrow and keep rolling.”
The A’s has lost 10 of their previous 12 games to fall behind the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL wildcard race, but Montas delivered.
Montas (10-9) allowed just three baserunners — a double by Judge in the first, a walk to DJ LeMahieu in the sixth and Judge’s leadoff single in the seventh. He struck out six.
“Against that lineup, win-streak going and the way they’re going,
I don’t know how you can pitch any better than that,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “(Montas) had an edge from the very beginning. A much-needed outing. Fantastic, maybe to an extent as good an outing as he’s had all year.”
The outing was almost identical to the seven-inning shutout effort Sunday against the Giants. He gave up two hits in that game, which the A’s went on to lose 2-1. The Yankees made Montas sweat this one when Judge followed an Anthony Rizzo single with a two-run homer off Sergio Romo in the top of the ninth. But Romo rebounded to get Stanton to pop up and Joey Gallo to ground out to secure his first save since 2020.
Matt Chapman homered, Tony Kemp had two hits, including a RBI single, and a third Oakland run scored on a balk as the A’s snapped a losing streak that had equaled the length of the one they had to open the season.
The Yankees’ streak matched the fourthlongest in franchise history. They fell six victories short of the club record of 19 set in 1947.