Jubilation at the Oakland Ring Central Coliseum as Matt Olson (right) is congratulated by teammate Tony Kemp (5) after hitting a game winning double in the bottom of the tenth on Wed Aug 4, 2021 afternoon to split a two game series with the San Diego Padres (AP News photo)

San Diego 4 – 11 – 0

Oakland 5 – 7 – 0 (10 innings)

By Lewis Rubman

Wednesday August 4, 2021

OAKLAND–After Tuesday night’s disappointing 8-1 loss to the San Diego Padres (62-48), the Oakland A’s (61-48) went into Wednesday’s game against the Padres five and a half games behind the Astros in the race for the AL Western Division flag.

Winning that pennant has to be Oakland’s main goal if they are to have any hope of making it into the post season; three teams, the Yankees, Mariners, and Blue Jays are breathing down their necks, all three games or less behind the green and gold in the battle for the second wild card slot.

This afternoon’s contest, a thrilling 5-4, 10 inning triumph for Oakland, began as a tight pitcher’s duel, with the teams locked in a 1-1 tie after the first three innings. I like to consider this the opening act of the three act drama with 17 or 18 scenes that is a well constructed game of baseball. This afternoon’s contest had an epilogue.

The A’s took an early lead against Joe Musgrove, the Friars’ right handed starter who came to the mound with an impresive ERA of 2.94 to offset his unprepossessing won-lost record of 7-7. Jed Lowrie opened the second inning by blasting his 12th home run of the year, a 379 foot drive to right off a 90 mph cut fast ball.

Frankie Montás coughed up that slender lead in the following frame, allowing a lead off leg double to slow footed catcher Victor Caratini, who scored on Adam Frazier´s single to center after Montás had struck out the two intervening Padre batters, Jake Marisnick and Tommy Pham.

The tide turned in San Diego’s favor at the start of the second act, innings four through six. The Padres took the lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Eric Hosmer singled to right. Jurickson Profar hit a liner that just cleared the glove of a leaping Olson and landed in right for a single that sent Hosmer to second. Trent Grisham then smacked a line drive against the right center field wall that rebounded past the centerfielder, Marte.

That drove in Hosmer, but Laureano fielded the elusive pellet and, combined with Josh Harrison’s fast and accurated relay, nabbed Profar at the plate, 9-4-2. That valiant play went in vain, as the pesky Caratini, who opened the day batting all of .226, singled to left, plating Grisham with the Friars’ third tally.

The second act, and with it Montás´s appearance, ended with San Diego still ahead, 3-1. The A’s starter threw 86 pitches in his afternoon’s work; 60 counted as strikes. All three runs he allowed were earned, and they came on eight hits. He struck out eight friars and didn’t walk any one.

Oakland’s had a new man on the mound to start the third and final act. Andrew Chafin, acquired from the Cubs on July 26, held the Padres to a single in the seventh before passing the ball to Jake Diekman in the eighth, who pitched a scoreless eighth and gave way to Yusmeiro Petit for the ninth inning. He yielded a two out double to Grisham but still held the Padres scoreless.

The seventh inning also brought a new pitcher to the mound for the visitors. Pierce Johnson relieved Musgrove, who, in six innings of brilliant work, had held the home team to a single run on only two hits, although he did issue three wallks and hit two Oakland batters.

One of them was the human bull’s eye, Mark Canha, whom he plunked on a full count in the first. Musgrove’s pitch count was 99. 40 of those were balls. Drew Pomeranz set the A’s down in order in the eighth.

Mark Melançon took the mound in the ninth for the visitors, looking for his 33rd save. Laureano greeted him with a double down the left field line to culminate a ten pitch at bat. Lowrie made the first out, taking a cutter for a called strike three.

Harrison sent a sorching ground ball to the right side of the infield of which Profar made a diving grab and beat the A’s second baseman to first for out number two while Laureano advanced to third. Murphy walked on four pitches, bringing up Chapman. Melvin called on Tony Kemp to run for Muphy.

Chapman hit a grounder to short, and Kemp beat Cronenworth’s throw to second, allowing Laureano to score and bringing Andrus to the plate with the tying run second and the winning run on first with two outs. Yan Gomes pinch hit for him and lined a single to center, bringing in Kemp with the tying run. We now were in extra innings.

Lou Trivino, who had converted his last 10 save opportunities relieved Petit with Ha-Seong Kim pinch running for Caratini, the placed runner on second, and Wil Myers batting for Marisnick. Myers grounded out short to first, sending Kim to third.

The shortstop, by the way, was Chapman, Kemp having stayed in the game, playing third. Chapman couldn’t handle a Tommy Pham’s grounder, and the error allowed Kim to score the run that put San Diego ahead 4-3.

It fell to Tim Hill to protect San Diego’s slender lead with Canha the placed runner on second and Marte at bat. Marte singled to right, sending Canha to third. Matt Olson lifted a fly to right that Myers, who remained in the game, seemed to have trouble finding in the sun. The ball bounced off the wall for a double, scoring Canha and Marte. with, respectively, the tying and winning runs.

Trivino got the win. He’s now 4-4, with an ERA of 1.95. Hill got charged with a blown save (as did Melançon) and the loss, making his recorrd 5-6, 2.90

The A’s have tomorrow off and will return to the Coliseum Friday evening at 6:40 when Chris Bassitt (11-3, 3.28) is scheduled to face the Texas Rangers and Mike Foltynewicz (2-10,6.00)