Oakland Athletics’ Tony Kemp, right, watches his two-run single that scored Ryan Noda and Zack Gelof during the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum on Sun Sep 3, 2023 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (64-73).    000 300 102 – 6.  9. 2

Oakland (42-95).          000 004 60x -10 10 1

Time: 3:09.    

Attendance: 12,425

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–The moribund Las Vegas bound Oakland Athletics picked up their fourth win in eight games last night in a thriller in which five relievers followed up a strong start by Paul Blackburn to preserve a one run home team triumph.

This Sunday afternoon, Oakland started with Kyle Muller, the Braves second round pick in the 2016 draft. He was 1-5, 7.67 in his 14 big league appearances of the season, all of them with Oakland and 12 as a starter, when he threw the first pitch at 1:07 warm and clear Sunday afternoon.

After Muller threw his 78th and last pitch, Muller was on the hook for the loss. He’d allowed three runs, all earned, on five hits, one for the distance, a walk, and a wild pitch. Although it’s not a pitching statistic, it’s noteworthy that he committed one error.

Muller escaped with a no decision and now has a record of 1-5 ERA 7.62. It was the second time through the lineup that did Muller in. In spite of that, the A’s gained the fifth win in nine contests with a sixth run outburst in the seventh frame that lifted them to 42-95.

.The visitors from Orange County also went with a southpaw, Tyler Anderson, who had a game time record of 5-6, 5.58. He looked bad in his last start, an August 29th 12-7 loss in Philadelphia in which he gave up six runs, all earned, on seven hits, and three walks.

Before today, his lifetime record against Oakland was 3-0, 0.79. He was great for five frames, Then he fell apart and ended up with a no decision for 5-1/3 innings, in which he allowed three runs, all earned, on three hits, three walks, and a wild pitch. 52 of his 81 offerings  counted as strikes. His record now stands at 5-6, 5.55.

Things fell apart for the A’s in the top of the fourth. Muller had been breezing along, having allowed only a hit and a walk to the first 12 batters he faced, Then Randal Grichuk singled to left, and Eduarado’s Escobar’s sixth home run of the year, a solid fly that cleared the left center field wall into the bleachers and carried 406 feet, drove him home and put LA up, 2-0.

Zack Gelof made a spectacular leaping catch of Michael Stefanic’s line drive that was headed to right field to keep the bases empty and record the second out. But Mickey Moniak singled to right center and got to third when  Muller’s pick off throw went under Noda’s glove and deep into foul territory. Moments later, Chad Wallace smacked a two bagger to right center and it was 3-0, Los Angeles.

The Angels’ lead was in jeopardy in the bottom of the frame. Oakland loaded the bases with none out on walks to Gelof, Ryan Noda, and Brent Rooker. Then designated hitter Carlos Pérez went down swinging for the second time in as many at bats, and Jordan Díaz fouled out to first. That brought up Shea Langeliers, who consummated the blown save by fanning on a 2-2 count.

Muller didn’t come out to pitch the fifth. Adrián Martinez did.

It took a video review of the call at first base on Gelof’s leadoff grounder to third in the fourth for the  A’s to get their first hit. Noda ended Anderson’s bid for a shutout with a 406 foot blast into the center field seats for is 13th home run and  44th and 45th RBI of the year, bringing the A’s to within a run of the visitors.  Carlos Pérez followed with a single to left that drove Anderson to the showers.

Right hander Andrew Wantz entered the game, a move Oakland countered by sending Seth Brown to the plate to hit for Jordan Díaz. Brown responded with his 13th home run, a huge blast over the center field fence into the alley in front of the Holy Toledo sign. The Athletics now led 4-3. Aledmys Díaz followed that tough act to follow with a drive off the left field auxiliary scoreboard. He died on third, but Oakland was back in the game.

Back in the game, but no longer in the lead for long. Luis Rengifo sent a 392 foot over the right center field fence with one down in the top of the seventh to tie things up at four. Out went Martínez. In came Francisco Pérez. Up came Ohtani. Pérez fanned him and got Drury out on a fly to right to end the inning. 

José Soriano relieved Wantz to open the home seventh. Lawrence Butler pinch hit for Ruíz and grounded out to short. Then the bottom fell out for the Angels. Gelof singled to left. Nola hit a bounder to the mound; Soriano threw it into center field for an error on the fielder’s choice, and now the A’s had runners on the corners.

A base on balls to Rooker loaded the sacks. Tony Kemp pinch hit for Pérez and singled to center, driving in Gelof. Rooker scored on center fielder Moniak’s errant throw, which also allowed Kemp to advance to third.

The Angels challenged Kemp’s placement at the hot corner, but a video review confirmed it. Langliers then doubled to right, plating Kemp and Brown, who had been granted an intentional pass. José Marte relieved the beleaguered Soriano and yielded a single to Aledmys Díaz, sending Langliers to third before Allen ended lined  out to third, but Butler continued the attack with an infield single that brought Langliers in with the A’s 10th run. They  led, 10-4 when Gelof flew out to end the inning.

Dany Jiménez hurled a perfect top of the eighth for the A’s, and Kolton Ingram shut the A’s down in their half of that inning.

Kirby Snead entered the game to mop up in the ninth for Oakland, but Trevor May was warming up in the bullpen by the time a one out Chad Wallace single, two walks, a passed ball and Rengifo’s single had made it a 10-6 game with Ohtani at bat and a runner on first.

The mighty Ohtani struck out for the second straight time. Rengifo went to second on Snead’s second wild pitch of the frame. Snead then walked Drury, and May, who had earned the save on Saturday, in to face Grichuk. Mike Moustakas pinch hit for him and fanned on three pitches.

Pérez was the winning pitcher and now has a record of 1-1, 5.23. Soriano got tagged with the loss, dropping him to 0-1, 4.36. May earned his 17th save and brought his ERA under 4.00.  It’s now 3.99.

When this afternoon’s last out was recorded, the Athletics’ won-lost record had climbed to 41-95, 301   Depressing, but not in the class of the  Cleveland Spiders who on this day in 1899 lost 6-3 at Cincinnati and fell to 19-104, .183 on their way to a mind boggling all time major league record of 20-134, .1 30.

The modern era’s worst team was the New York Mets, who in 1962 finished their inaugural season at 40-120, .250. September 3 found them in Pittsburgh for a double header at Forbes Field, where they lost both games. They dropped the opener, 2-0, and were edged in the nightcap, 5-4. The losing pitcher in the second contest was Roger Craig. Humm, baby.

The Toronto Blue Jays come to town Monday, Labor Day, for the first of a three game series. That game on Monday will feature Oakland’s Ken Waldichuk (2–7, 5.92)  and Toronto’s José Berríos (9-10, 3.70) as the probable starters first pitch at 1:07pm PT.