By Tim Byrnes
The Athletics enjoyed another series opening win, and the bats were hot, but old habits turned the tides, in losses over the next two games.(Athletics: 11-2)
Jeff McNeil homered and had a pair of RBI-singles, while Nick Kurtz had a pair of home runs and five RBI’s, to continue the power surge from the homestand in Las Vegas.
Kurtz started the game with a single, with teammates Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom doing the same, but the next three Athletics struck out to leave them loaded.
McNeil followed a Zack Gelof double with an RBI-single, to open the scoring in the 2nd-inning, and Kurtz followed with his first of two homers to give the A’s a 3-0 lead.
Athletics starter JT Ginn (5-3, 2.91) went six innings, only allowing one unearned run in the fourth, and McNeil had his own 2-run home run in the bottom half of the inning, to extend the lead to 5-1. Gelof had an RBI-single in the fifth,and then the Athletics blew the game open in the seventh.
Lawrence Butler had an RBI-double, McNeil had his second RBI-single, and Kurtz hit a 3-run blast to give the A’s an 11-1.
Pirates Endy Rodriguez homered off reliever Mason Barnett for the final Pittsburgh run, and Barnett pitched the final two innings.
(Pirates: 6-5)
The A’s loaded the bases in the first for the second night in a row, but capitalized on it this time. After walks to Kurtz, Soderstrom, and Wilson, Gelof cleared the bases with a single. The throw to first-base was off-target and skipped away, allowing Soderstrom to score. Wilson was blocked rounding third, avoided the tag at home, and scored as well. Butler then doubled Gelof home for a 4-0 lead that wouldn’t last.
Athletics starter Jack Perkins allowed three runs in five innings and turned a runner over to Justin Sterner in the sixth. Sterner allowed a run before retiring the Pirates, but Gelof responded for the Athletics with a solo-home run, and a 5-3 lead.
Hogan Harris gave up a 2-run home run to Reynolds in the seventh, tying the game at 5-5, and Elvis Alvarado served up the eventual winning run, a solo-shot by Brandon Lowe with 1-out in the ninth.
(Pirates: 12-4)
In these kinds of blowouts, you have to reflect on why the Athletics bullpen continues to give up so many high-run, high foot-traffic innings. It boils down to a lack of quality MLB-worthy pitching throughout the A’s Farm System.
The lack of arms truly MLB-ready means the Athletics are bringing up pitchers level by level, too early. They pull guys up from Vegas and leave them on the mound when they struggle, only to demote them the next day. That is no way to treat your pitching staff, which now sits 29th in ERA, and if the Franchise wants to attract quality arms to Vegas in 2028, the mantra has to change.
Next: 6/18 640pm pst …Angels @ Sutter Health Park West Sacramento, Ca
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