By Matthew Harrington
The ninth inning woes continue for the Oakland Athletics, losers of 9 of their last 11, after an A’s blown save turned into an extra-innings walk-off homer against the Chicago White Sox Monday night. Tyler Flowers hit a pair of home runs, the game-tying and game-winning blasts, to hand the Pale Hose a victory at U.S. Cellular Field.
Jesse Chavez surrendered the game-ender, a home run with the bases empty in the 12th inning, to send the free-falling A’s (80-63)to their second consecutive loss against a team out of contention after leading the first eight innings. Eric O’Flaherty had blown his first save of the season as interim closer, with Flowers again victimizing the A’s with a solo poke earlier in the ninth.
Chicago (64-79) scored two runs, one earned, off A’s starter Sonny Gray in the first inning, but a two-run homer from Josh Reddick and solo blast by Jed Lowrie put Oakland ahead 3-1 in the fifth inning. Third basemen Conor Gillaspie knotted the game up at three-all after his 13th long ball of the season in the sixth inning. Sam Fuld plated pinch-runner Billy Burns on a bunt single with one out in the eighth to give the A’s a one-run lead into the late innings.
O’Flaherty, who was unavailable to pitch in a save situation in Sunday’s 4-3 blown-lead loss to the Astros, struck out former Athletic farmhand Michael Taylor to open the ninth. Sean Doolittle’s substitute then coaxed a Dayan Viciedo ground out to put Oakland within one out of the win. Flowers instead reversed a 2-1 O’Flaherty delivery, depositing a line drive into the left field bleachers to stick the A’s with their second blown save in as many days.
A’s sinkerballer Dan Otero didn’t allow a hit in his two innings of relief, working around a walk with a double play to face the minimum six hitters. He was lifted in favor of Jesse Chavez for the 12th. Chavez (8-8, 3.40 ERA) got Viciedo on strikes before serving up Flowers’ 14th homer of the season on a fly ball to left center.
Oakland starter Sonny Gray was forced to depart after seven innings without a decision despite scattering four hits to go with four punch-outs. He matched Chicago’s Hector Noesi, who also allowed a scant four hits over his 6 1/3 outing while striking out four Athletics. Javy Guerra (2-3, 2.61) picked up the win after pitching back-to-back scoreless frames in the 11th and 12th innings.
The A’s call upon Jon Lester to play stopper Tuesday night in a battle of southpaws on the South Side. Oakland’s trade deadline acquisition will face John Danks in tomorrow evenings match-up. Oakland is currently 1 ½ games at the time of publishing ahead of Seattle and Detroit, the two teams fighting for the second Wild Card spot, with just over 20 games left to play.
Notes: A’s Manager Bob Melvin believes closer Sean Doolittle could be back as earlier as the end of the week after going on the disabled list with a strained right intercostal …Catcher John Jaso, out with a concussion, may also return later this week depending on his results after meeting with a specialist…The 2015 Major League Baseball schedule was released by the Commissioner’s office early in the afternoon Monday. Oakland opens the season April 6th at O.Co Coliseum against the Texas Rangers. In a scheduling quirk, the A’s last roadtrip of the season will be the second half of the home-and-home Bay Bridge Series against the San Francisco Giants. Some other highlights include home-and-home sets with National League West opponents Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as a trip to Arizona. Oakland will welcome the Rockies to complete interleague play. The big names of the American League will visit Alameda County in May, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Tigers all coming to town in the second month of the season.
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