MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Athletics came into San Diego having lost three of the last four series and the AL West was bunching up. They continue to struggle in series openers, and with a 7-3 loss Friday the A’s lost the eleventh “game 1” in 17 series. A 2-0 shutout Saturday secured another series loss for the team but they rebounded with a solid 5-2 win in the finale and returned home with a winning road trip.

(Padres: 7-3)
The Athletics moved Carlos Cortes to leadoff and it has produced instant results. Cortes singled and Nick Kurtz doubled him in for a quick 1-0 lead, just five pitches in. A Brent Rooker groundout scored Kurtz, giving them a 2-0 lead but the Padres answered just as fast.

A’s starter Jeffrey Springs gave the lead up when he walked Fernando Tatis Jr, and Manny Machado homered to tie the game 2-2.

Zack Gelof doubled to open the fourth inning, and scored on a Henry Bolte RBI-single, but that would be it for the scoring for the green-and-gold.

San Diego tied it up on a Nick Castellanos solo home run in the fifth and took the lead when former Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano had his own bases-empty bomb for a 4-3 lead.

Springs (3-5, 4.11) was pulled for reliever Jack Perkins, who completely melted down in the eighth inning. Perkins allowed four singles in just 7-pitches and three eventually scored to complete a 7-3 blowout loss.

(Padres: 2-0)
“Copy and Paste” was the middle game in this series, beginning with Cortes at leadoff. Cortes and Kurtz both singled to begin the game but watched as the heart of the order left them on base.

This was the theme of the entire game, as the A’s were 0-7 with RISP, and left eight runners on base. Padres starter Lucas Giolito only went five innings and issued five walks and five hits, but the A’s couldn’t put a rally together like much of the series opener.

The Padres bullpen is much more than just former A’s closer Mason Miller as four relievers pitched four innings of 1-hit scoreless relief and secured the 2-0 shutout.

Athletics starter JT Ginn issued six walks in just 2 2/3 innings, and while he held San Diego hitless, two of those walks scored.

Ginn (2-3, 3.19) walked the bases loaded in the second and then hit Tatis with a 94-mph fastball to put the Padres up 1-0.

In the third inning, Ginn had his sixth full count become his sixth walk and Manager Mark Kotsay pulled him for reliever Jose Suarez. Suarez gave up an RBI-double to Jackson Merrill to make it 2-0 and that was where it would stay.

Suarez settled down to have a 1-2-3 fourth and fifth innings, with four strikeouts, to start a solid showing by the bullpen. Joel Kuhnel had two scoreless innings and Scott Barlow one for a solid relief effort in the loss.

(Athletics: 5-2)
Cortes hit his first leadoff home run of his career, and the A’s should consider leaving him in that spot with his outstanding approach to his at-bats.

Against tough starter Michael King, the A’s didn’t let up and scored twice in the second inning as well.

It began when Gelof drew a one out walk, and Bolte’s RBI-double brought him home. Newcomer Alika Williams followed with his first hit in A’s gear for an RBI-single, and a 3-0 lead.

Jonah Heim doubled to open the fourth inning and King then walked Jeff McNeil and Bolte to load the bases. King then threw a wild pitch to score Heim from third base. He later loaded them up with a walk to Cortes but the A’s failed to score any more runs that inning.

Luis Medina took the mound for the A’s in the first but was in to get through the top of the order for Jacob Lopez. Lopez (4-2, 5.73) went 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run in the sixth inning.

Justin Sterner allowed a solo home run to South Hills’ own Ty France in the seventh inning to get within 4-2 but a ninth inning Tyler Soderstrom RBI-single put the game out of reach. Barlow later earned his first save.

Next: Today Seattle 6:40pst, Sutter Health Park