Photo credit: @Athletics

By Jerry Feitelberg

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland A’s hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers for a brief two-game set at the Oakland Coliseum starting Tuesday night. The A’s sent their best pitcher, Sean Manaea, out to face the powerful Dodger hitters.

The Dodgers had seven players in the lineup that are in double-digits in home runs hit this season. Rich Hill, who was with the A’s in 2016, went for the Dodgers. The Dodgers sent Manaea to an early shower in the third inning and went on to beat the A’s 4-2. The win for LA was important as it broke a virtual tie for first-place in the NL West with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-Backs lost and the Dodgers reclaimed the lead with the win.The A’s lost ground to the New York Yankees in the race for the first Wild Card slot in the AL. The first Wild Card hosts the one-game all or nothing contest in October. The A’s, on the other hand, did not lose ground to the Seattle Mariners as the M’s lost.

The Dodgers scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. Second baseman Brian Dozier led off with a single to left. Dozier was erased at second on a nice fielding play by Jed Lowrie. Machado was safe at first on the play. Third baseman Justin Turner doubled to deep right-center to put men on at second and third. Machado scored when Kike Hernandez grounded out. Manaea struck out Matt Kemp for the final out of the first.

LA added a run in the second. Manaea walked Chris Taylor to start the inning. Manaea retired Cody Bellinger for the first out. Right fielder Yasiel Puig singled to send Taylor to third.  Catcher Austin Barnes laid down a bunt that scored Taylor. Manaea threw Barnes out at first on the play. Puig stole third, but Manaea was able to retire Manny Machado for the final out of the inning. The Dodgers led 2-0 after two innings of play.

In the top of third, the Dodgers knocked Manaea out of the box as they plated their third run of the game. Justin Turner started the rally with a single to left. Hernanez fouled out. Matt Kemp walked to put men on at first and second. Manaea retired Taylor for the second out. Bellinger singled to center to drive in Turner. A’s manager Bob Melvin finished Manaea’s night when he walked to the mound to bring in Emilio Pagan to pitch. The A’s have not been able to do anything against Hill and they trailed 3-0.

The A’s put two runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Chapman led off with a double. Hill struck out Lowrie for the first out. The next hitter, Khris Davis, crushed an 88-MPH four-seam fastball to bring the A’s within one run of tying the game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Hill from the game. The Dodgers used two pitchers to get the last two outs of the inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Dodgers had Joc Pederson pinch-hit for Kike Hernandez. Pederson doubled off the wall in left-center field. The ball missed going out of the park by just a few inches. Kemp then singled to drive in Pederson with the Dodgers’ fourth run of the game. A’s pitcher Yusmeiro Petit walked Bellinger to put men on at first and second with one out, Petit then got Puig to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. The Dodgers led 4-2 halfway through the seventh. The Dodger bullpen shut the A’s down the last three innings of the game to preserve the win for LA and Hill.

Game Notes: With the win, the Dodgers improved to 63-51 and regained the lead in the NL West. Roberts used five pitchers and Jansen recorded his 32nd save of the season. Hill’s record improved to 5-4.

Manaea took the loss and his record dropped to 10-8. It was Manaea’s shortest outing since August 12, 2017. He pitched just 2 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, six hits and walked three batters.

Davis was the hitting star for the A’s. Davis blasted his 32nd home run of the season with Matt Chapman aboard in the bottom of the sixth. Davis now has 88 ribbies for the year. It was the third game in a row that Davis has homered.

The Dodgers’ line score was four runs, nine hits, and no errors.

The A’s line was two runs, four hits, and no errors.

Time of game was three hours and 21 minutes and 33,654 fans watched the two teams play a very entertaining game.

Up Next: The finale of the two-game series will be played on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm PDT.

The Dodgers will send their ace, three-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw, to the mound.

The A’s will counter with righty Mike Fiers. Fiers came to Oakland on Monday when the A’s made a trade for his service from the Tigers.