MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

It was a very predictable outcome for the polar opposites in the game of baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers, whose salaries total well over $300 million, are over three times the Athletics payroll of $96 million.

The Athletics have lost the services of left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, All-Star shortstop Jacob Wilson, and third baseman Max Muncy to 10-day injured list stints, while losing All-Star DH Brent Rooker for the remainder of the season.

With four regular bats out of the lineup against the two-time World Series Champions, the Athletics struggled and lost the first two games, before rebounding with a win in the finale.

(Dodgers: 9-4)
Eight Dodgers hitters had two hits each and LA dominated the Athletics exciting rookie Gage Jump, who allowed a career-high 11 hits, and gave up the first two home runs of his young career.

Jump (3-2, 2.93) didn’t allow any runs in his last two starts and had allowed more than three earned runs just once all season, his MLB debut. A great start but LA showed him what dominance looks like.

The Athletics Colby Thomas homered and newly promoted infielder Jacob Kuroda-Grauer went 3-for-4 with a double in his MLB-debut to pace the Athletics in the 9-4 loss.

Los Angeles was just too deep to hold down for long, and they banged out 17 hits, including home runs from “their” Max Muncy (17), Andy Pages (16), and, of course, Shohei Ohtani (18).

(Dodgers: 9-3)
The Dodgers pressed repeat and banged out another 14 hits, including home runs from Miguel Rojas and Tommy Edman in the 9-3 drubbing Tuesday night. What is a drubbing? I don’t have a clue, but it fits because the A’s got stomped for the fourth loss in a row.

Athletics starter Jeffrey Springs continued his season-long tossing of batting practice, allowing two more home runs among the eight hits he gave up in the game. Springs (3-8, 5.79) has allowed 24 home runs this season, which is the worst in baseball, and his WHIP (1.38) and BAA (.268) are among the bottom-10 in MLB.

Thomas homered for the second consecutive day for the Athletics, and added a single, and was the only A’s player to reach base twice.

(Athletics: 7-1)
The Athletics needed to stop the bleeding badly, and starter JT Ginn came through to salvage the series, and avoid the sweep. Ginn (7-4, 3.04) navigated around five walks, scattered just three hits, and his only blemish was a monster-home run (431 feet), a solo shot by Freddy Freeman.

Newly anointed DH (and back-up catcher) Jonah Heim hit the first pitch of the second inning an astonishing 444 feet and reached three times to lead the A’s batting resurgence.

Cather Shea Langeliers finally homered for only his second extra base hit since June 18th and he is glad to get out of June, where he batted just .204. Alika Williams also homered for the Athletics who had five players with multiple hits, and the team finished with twelve hits in the 7-1 win.

Next: Miami Marlins @ Athletics 7/3 640pm Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento Ca