By Matthew T.F. Harrington
AP photo: Oakland A’s starter Kendall Graveman delivers a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the first inning on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum
OAKLAND, Calif. – As Friday night’s contest at the Oakland Coliseum played out, it became clear that the contest would wrap up with one team celebrating more than usual for a regular season win. For the hometown team, young starter Kendall Graveman was dueling with history, pitching a no-hitter against a vaunted Rangers offense. The Lonestar State meanwhile watched with champagne on ice for their squad, with a win clinching the American League West and a playoff berth.
Graveman cruised through six innings without allowing a Rangers runner, but a three-run seventh inning moved the magic number for Texas (91-63) to 0 following a 3-0 win over the A’s (66-87). Adrian Beltre ripped a two-run home run and Carlos Beltran picked up in RBI to back starter Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.30 ERA) over his seven scoreless innings.
“Anytime you get past the fifth (inning) you start thinking about it,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin of Graveman’s near no-no. “Once you’re past the six especially. It just wasn’t to be.”
Hamels scattered six hits over his 21 outs while walking two A’s and striking out seven. While he dominated the A’s, Oakland nearly broke up the shutout in the second after Renato Nunez’s two-out single. Chad Pinder, batting out of the nine-hole, ripped a double in the gap, but Nunez got greedy and wound up cut down at the plate after Rougned Odor’s relay through from Nomar Mazara beat him to the plate by three steps.
“In a game like that it doesn’t look like many runs are going to be scored,” said Melvin. “If we have an opportunity to score one, then I’m all for being aggressive.”
The A’s would threaten again in the fourth after pushing runners to first and second with one out, but Hamels retired Jake Smolinski and Nunez to keep the game scoreless at the time.
“It looked like we had him on the run,” said Melvin. “It looked like he was a little frustrated with where he was throwing the baseball. After the third inning he started mixing it up more, throwing his cutter. His breaking ball was good. His changeup is always good. With a good starting pitcher, if you can get on him early before he gets into a rhythm your better off doing it.”
Graveman too was locked in on the mound, retiring the first 18 Rangers he faced but the seventh inning proved his undoing. Midseason pickup Carlos Gomez singled on a grounder deep in the hole at short that Marcus Semien had no chance on, then scootered over to third after Ian Desmond ripped a liner of a single into left. Beltran bounced out to first but brought Gomez home on the play, then Adrian Beltre skyed a first-pitch offering from Graveman into the stands in left for a 3-0 lead and his 31st long ball of the year.
“He has like a hundred years in the big league,” said Graveman of the 17-year vet Beltre. “He’s seen 1 million, 2 million, 3 million pitches. You have to make quality pitches. He makes you throw quality pitches. He hits mistakes. When he gets going he can carry a whole team.”
Graveman (10-11, 4.19) would allow one more hit in the inning but would get all three outs before exiting the game. He surrendered 3 earned runs with no walks, three punchouts and only 77 pitches thrown before making way for Jon Axford.
“We’ve seen him throw some complete games and make every pitch,” said Melvin. “He was certainly fgor a while there. He had a really good sinker, it was really just one breaking ball to Beltre that stayed middle in. Other than that he was great.”
Axford pitched a scoreless eighth, due in large part to a gutsy effort by Danny Valencia. With two outs, Valencia charged a foul ball from Carlos Gomez into the Rangers dugout at first. Chris Smith, pitching his first season of Major League baseball since 2011, also threw a scoreless frame. The Rangers Matt Bush did the same though and Sam Dyson closed out the contest for his 36th save, but not without drama.
With two outs in the ninth, Danny Valencia singled then Stephen Vogt walked on four straight pitches, bringing the tying run to the plate. Pinch hitter Yonder Alonso bounced into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
The A’s will send Raul Alcantara to the mound Saturday looking to get him the second win of his major league career. He’ll face the second half of the Rangers dual ace threat Yu Darvish in the afternoon tilt.]
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