The Oakland A’s Tyler Wade contributed big with the bat and glove at the Oakland Coliseum against the New York Yankees on Tue Jun 27, 2023 (@Athletics image)

New York (AL) (43-36). 000 010 000 000 – 1. 7. 0

Oakland (21-60). 001 100 000 000 – 2. 5 0

Time: 2:36

Attendance: 13,050

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

OAKALND–If you race to the bottom of this dispatch, you’ll find an attachment titled “Race to the Bottom.” That’s where you can keep up to date with the A’s dreary race to have the worst winning percentage in the history of major league baseball. Spoiler alert: it isn’t even close.

The Yankees historically have been a big draw here on the banks of the River Nimitz. It often was cheaper for New Yorkers to hop a flight to OAK, buy some pretty decent seats, get good, cheap food, and return to Gotham for less than it cost to spend an afternoon or evening in The House That Ruth Built.

Tonight’s game drew all of 13,050. people to the Coliseum, who watched the A’s defeat the Yanks, 2-1, in a nail biter. Most of the cheers before the ninth inning seemed to be for the Yankees.

The moribund Athletics sent hard luck hurler Paul Blackburn to the mound with an 0-0, 4.21 record. He pitched well tonight, lasting 5-1/3 innings and leaving with a runner on first. He allowed a single run, which was earned and came on a home run.

He surrendered three other hits and a walk, striking out five Bronx Bombers, 55 of his 90 offerings counted as strikes. Blackburn’s efforts earned him his first win of the year and brought his ERA down to 3.77.

The Bronx Bombers entrusted their pitching to rookie right hander Jhonny Brito, who came to work this evening with a record of 4-3, 4.89. Brito’s last appearance had been on June 21 at The Stadium, where held the Mariners scoreless on two hits over 5-2/3 innings, He earned the win for that performance.

He went 5-2/3 innings again tonight but yielded two runs, both of them earned. He surrendered four hits, one for four bases and struck out an equal number of opponents, two. He threw 81 pitches, 52 for strikes. He took the tough loss and now has a record of 4-4, 4.70.

The starters traded goose eggs until Tyler Wade sent a one out triple into the right flied corner and scored on Esteury Ruíz’s ensuing single to left put the A’s ahead, 1-0. Seth Brown’s towering fly over the right field auxiliary scoreboard in the fourth extended the lead to 2-0.

Old Oakland fan favorite Josh Donaldson cut the advantage in half with a lead off blast that travelled 423 feet into left field for his seventh home run of what has been a disappointing year at the plate for the Yankee’s third baseman. His four bagger came off a 91 mph four seam fast ball.

Lucas Erceg relieved Blackburn after the starter had issued a one out walk to Anthony Rizzo in the sixth. A force out and a strike out later the one run lead still stood.

Southpaw Nick Ramírez took over for Brito with one on and two down in the bottom of the sixth, walked Brown and retired Brett Rooker to close out the frame. Right handed Tommy Kahn replaced him for the home seventh and put the A’s away, 1-2-3.

It was Trevor May who was pitching for Oakland in the top of the eighth after Langeliers had thrown out Volpe trying to steal second. The Yanks challenged the call, but after review, it stood. May walked a couple of Yanks and almost walked the bases full but still escaped without any damage.

After Ruíz opened the home eighth with a Texas League single to right center, Wandy Peralta took Kahn’s place on the pitching rubber and shut the A’s down.

Sam Moll earned the save in the top of the ninth. Gleyber Torres led off with a pinch hit single to left. Moll bore down and got Donaldson on a called third strike.

Billy McKinney lined out to right. Two down. Volpe beat out a slow grounder too short. Oakland challenged the call. It stood. Kyle Higshioka, who had replaced IsiahKiner-Falefa, who had pinch run in the top of the inning, to 1-2, and … went down swinging.

The three game series resumes tomorrow at 6:40. Recovering New Yorkers like me can recall the Ballantine Blasts and White Owl Wallops of yesteryear while Domingo Germán (4-5, 5.10) of the pinstripers duels the A’s JP Sears (1-5, 4.10)