MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The A’s stopped in Baltimore for a series against the Orioles, already down 1-2 on the six-game road trip. They squared the roadie up with a 2-1 series victory, winning games one and two, while falling to Baltimore in the finale. After losing the last three series openers the A’s used stingy pitching and timely hitting to return home with a solid 3-3 trip across the eastern seaboard.

(Athletics: 4-3)
Both starters came into this game with serious recent struggles. Athletics starter Jacob Lopez lost his previous game by allowing two bombs and six earned runs, while Orioles starter Kyle Bradish allowed three home runs and five earned in his last start.

Both started this game dominating hitters, beginning with the Baltimore hurler. Bradish (1-5, 4.83) retired the first eight Athletics on his way to a solid seven innings start, striking out 10 Athletics.

Lopez (3-2, 6.11) countered by only allowing a Pete Alonzo solo-homer through five innings. He was replaced soon after allowing an Adley Rutschman bases empty homer in the sixth inning. Lopez took the win and after a steady stream of relievers, Hogan Harris earned his second save of the season.

The A’s scored three runs in the fifth inning when the trio of Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, and Zack Gelof hit back-to-back-to-back singles, and Nick Kurtz hit a two-run triple to take a 3-1 lead.

Wilson later had a much-needed RBI single in the eighth because Baltimore scratched a run in the ninth, and the A’s prevailed 4-3.

(Athletics: 6-2)
Athletics starter Aaron Civale (4-1, 2.59) navigated heavy traffic all day, scattering six hits and three walks to hold the Orioles scoreless after five innings.

The bats started early for the A’s when Kurtz doubled and Shea Langeliers followed with an RBI single. Seven pitches, 1-0!

Kurtz started the third inning with a walk, and Langeliers hit his second single to earn his 17th multi-hit game of the season. Designated hitter Brent Rooker followed with a three-run home run, his fifth on the year, for a 4-0 lead.

Kurtz scored his third run of the day when he led off the fifth with a double and after he stole third base, a Langeliers sac-fly scored him. Carlos Cortes would add a ninth inning run, driving in Langeliers with an RBI single.

Civale was replaced by Harris who had a 1-2-3 sixth inning and Scott Barlow also fanned two Orioles to secure a clean seventh.

Mark Leiter Jr. did what Leiter usually does and gave up a “single-double-single” with two outs in the eighth to give Baltimore two runs and some hope. It was all they could muster and Joel Kuhnel had a quick 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure the series and a 6-2 win.

(Orioles: 2-1)
In the finale on Sunday, starter Luis Severino had the same issues that Lopez had on Saturday, base runners. He allowed a walk in the first but the runner was caught trying to steal second base.

The Athletics opened the second with a Tyler Soderstrom double, and a Cortes sac-fly would get the A’s on the board first, 1-0.

Severino had a 1-2-3 second but lost some control in the third inning. Dylan Beavers doubled to open the inning, and after a walk to Weston Wilson, Gunnar Henderson hit an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

The Orioles loaded the bases against Severino in the fifth when he sandwiched a Henderson single between two walks, but he managed to end the inning unscathed. Severino has a “tell” that lets you know he is about to seriously struggle, and that is 2-0 and 3-0 counts. He went 2-0 to three of the final four he faced and 3-0 to two of them and probably shouldn’t have started the sixth inning.

Severino gave up a double to Samuel Basallo and back-to-back singles by Leody Tavares and Dylan Beavers, with Beavers’ RBI-single deciding the outcome 2-1.

The Athletics bats were “meh” Sunday and wasted solid pitching. Justin Sterner had a 1-2-3, two-strikeout sixth, and Luis Medina struck out four in a six-out seventh and eighth innings, to finish the 2-1 loss.

Next: Cardinals @ Athletics 5/12 6:40pst Sutter Health Park. West Sacramento