A’s beat Dodgers, get 1st win
After 6 straight losses, Oakland snaps skid following Moreland’s RBI single
OAKLAND >> The A’s avoided the ignominy of a winless homestand to open the season when Mitch Moreland delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The A’s had started the season with six straight losses, matching the 1916 Philadelphia A’s record for futility.
With Mark Canha opening on second base in the bottom of the 10th, Jed Lowrie drew a walk off
Dodgers reliever Jimmy Nelson and went to third on a fly to deep center by Ramon Laureano.
With one out and the infield playing in, Moreland touched off a celebration with a single to right center to end the game.
In the top of the 10th, Yusmeiro Petit (1-0), starting with a runner on second as per extra inning rules, retired the Dodgers on two flyouts and a strikeout.
The A’s tied the score 3-3 in the ninth against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen on a sacrifice fly by Elvis Andrus which scored Matt Chapman.
Chapman opened the inning with a single, with Seth Brown following with a walk. Tony Kemp sacrificed Chapman to third, with pinch-runner Ka’ai Tom holding at second.
Andrus was next and his fly to medium-depth center was enough to bring home Chapman with the tying run.
Chapman brought the A’s within 3-2 in the seventh when he hit a
3-1 pitch against starting pitcher Trevor Bauer deep into the stands in left center field for his first home run of the season.
It was the first sign of offensive life for Chapman, who was 2-for-21 with 10 strikeouts at the time of the home run.
Bauer departed after giving up a single to Stephen Piscotty, with reliever Corey Knebel striking out Canha with two out to end the seventh.
Bauer struck out 10 and walked one in 6 2/3 innings, throwing 110 pitches — 67 for strikeouts.
Sergio Romo came on in the top of the seventh and by the time he had thrown four pitches — Chris Taylor was hit by pitch, Corey Seager singled and Justin Turner doubled — the A’s trailed 3-1.
Romo recovered to retire the side without further damage.
The Dodgers chased starter Jesus Luzardo and took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a neat bit of small ball when No. 9 hitter Zach McKinstry bunted home Max Muncy from third base against reliever Adam Kolarek.
Luzardo got the first out in the sixth but walked Muncy and then gave up a single to Austin Barnes. Kolarek, who played for the Dodgers last season, retired Gavin Lux on a grounder to first to put the runners at second and third.
McKinstry then bunted to Chapman at third, who tagged out Barnes at third base but not before Muncy had scored the lead run.
Luzardo ended up surrendering two runs in 5 1/3 innings with four walks and six strikeouts. He threw 104 pitches, 54 of those in the first two innings.
Laureano personally manufactured the tying run in the bottom of the fourth, an inning that began when Bauer grazed him on the shoulder with a pitch.
Laureano stole second base as Moreland was striking out. Then with Bauer paying him no mind at second, Laureano stole third with two out after Chapman popped to short.
With Brown at the plate, Bauer threw a pitch in the dirt that catcher Will Smith couldn’t handle and Laureano raced home to tie the score 1-1.
A.J. Pollock’s run-scoring single put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the top of the first. The damage was minimal considering Luzardo’s command issues, as he walked three batters and threw 35 pitches before retiring Austin Barnes on a fly to left with the bases loaded.