by Jerry Feitelberg

The Yankees edged the A’s Wednesday night by a score of 5-4. The hitting star was big Mark Teixeira. Teixeira hit two solo home runs off Evan Scribner to lead the way. Vallejo’s C.C. Sabathia was on the ropes early but recovered and pitched well until he left the game in the sixth inning. The A’s rallied in the ninth when Marcus Semien tagged Yankee closer Andrew Miller for a two-run dinger. Alas, it was too little, too late as Miller settled down and survived a throwing error that put Stephen Vogt in scoring position. Miller retired Ben Zobrist to end the game.

The A’s scored two runs in the top of the second. They touched Sabathia for four hits. Billy Butler led off with a ground-rule double to left-field. Butler advanced to third on Brett Lawrie’s infield single. Jake Smolinski hit into a fielder’s choice. Butler was running on contact, but caught in a rundown and tagged out. Singles by Josh Phegley and Mark Canha drove in Lawrie and Smolinski to give the A’s the lead. The Yankees scored an unearned run in their half of the second.  Chris Young reached on a throwing error by Brett Lawrie. He scored when shortstop Didi Gregorius doubled to deep right center field. Gregorius was thrown out at third trying to advance on the throw home.

In the fourth inning, A’s starter, Scott Kazmir, was not able to pitch as he experienced tightness in his left triceps muscle. Bob Melvin brought in righty Evan Scribner to pitch. Scribner, who pitched so well early in the season, has been struggling of late. His first batter that he faced was Mark Teixeira. Teixeira tied the game with one swing of the bat. His home run sailed into the seats in right field. The Yankees added another run. Chris Young walked. Yankee catcher John Ryan Murphy hit a rocket that Marcus Semien couldn’t handle. It was ruled a hit. Young stole third when Scribner forget to check him. Had Scribner checked him at second, Young would have been picked off. Murphy went to second on a passed ball.Jose Pirela flied out to right driving in Young. A’s trail 3-2 after four.

New York added a run in the sixth. Scribner was facing Teixeira for the second time, and Teixeira did it again. He hit his 22nd home run of the season to make it a 4-2 game. It was the 385th career home run for Teixeira. Eric O’Flaherty was called in from the bullpen. He retired two hitters to end the inning.

Edward Mujica pitched a scoreless seventh inning and retired one Yankee in the eighth. Melvin brought in Fernando Abad to pitch. Abad had not pitched for ten days, and he may have been a little rusty. Former A’s shortstop, Stephen Drew put the ball into the right field seats to give the Yanks an insurance run. 5-2 heading into the ninth.

The Yanks activated their closer, Andrew Miller, off the DL Wednesday. Dellin Betances, who took the loss Tuesday night, pitched a scoreless 8th inning. The A’s made it a 5-4 game when Marcus Semien hit a two-run blast into the left field seats.  Stephen Vogt reached second on an error, but Miller retired Zobrist to end the game.

Game Notes- the loss ended the A’s seven-game road winning streak. Scott Kazmir went three innings allowing two hits and one unearned run. Scribner took the loss, and his record is 2-2.  Scribner has given up eleven home runs in 44 innings of work. It is the most of any reliever in baseball.

The rubber game of the three-game series will be Thursday morning at 9:35 am PT. Jesse Chavez will go for the A’s, and Masahiro Tanaka will hurl for the Yanks.