The New York Yankees Anthony Rizzo (right) celebrates his home run with the Giancarlo Stanton (48) as Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers stands in the background in the bottom of the first inning at Yankee Stadium on Tue Apr 23, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK.—The Oakland Athletics allowed four runs in the first inning by the New York Yankees and were unable to overcome that on Tuesday night, falling 4-3 in the second of the four-game series that is now tied in the Bronx.

Oakland was the first to score – Seth Brown doubled on a line drive to right fielder Juan Soto and Brent Rooker scored, putting them up 1-0.

But the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton responded by doubling on a sharp line drive to center fielder Esteury Ruiz and Soto and Aaron Judge scored, and New York was up 2-1. Then Anthony Rizzo hit a home run to right center field and Stanton scored, expanding the Yankees’ lead to 4-1.

A’s starting pitcher Paul Blackburn said he felt like he “made two bad pitches all night” and there were “two good hitters that made me pay for it”.

“I feel like we kind of settled in there and we were fighting back, we just kind of ran out of time. It was just one of those outings where you keep your team in it as long as you can,” said Blackburn. “Once you kind of give up four in the first, you’re just trying to go out there and put up as many zeros as you can.”

A’s manager Mark Kotsay felt that Blackburn performed well after the first inning.

“We did have our chances to get a big hit and you know, Paul’s job tonight after the first inning, I mean he put up zeros and gave us a chance to get back in it,” said Kotsay. “And so it was a nice night after that.”

In the second inning, Shea Langeliers answered back with a homer of his own on a fly ball to center field, to cut the Yankees’ lead to 4-2.

Then in the fourth inning, Lawrence Butler hit a home run on a line drive to right center field, putting the A’s within one run of the Yankees. Kotsay called it a “great, great sign”.

“He’s got power to hit it out and swung it the right one that time and it was nice to see a home run from him,” Kotsay said.

Blackburn took his first loss of the season after allowing four earned runs in six innings pitched. After starting their 10-game roadtrip getting swept by the Cleveland Guardians, the series against the Yankees standing at 1-1 is an improvement.

“It’s always nice to obviously win the first game of the series. And then coming in today, just the way that we fought – it was a good pitcher and a good bullpen they have over there – I think It just shows a lot about the guys here,” Blackburn said. “That we’re never going to quit no matter the situation or the score or anything like that.”

The A’s fell to 9-15 this season and are 7-15 in 22 games against the Yankees (16-8) since the beginning of the 2021 season.

Game three of the four-game series at Yankee Stadium continues on Wednesday. A’s right-handed pitcher Joe Boyle will match up against Yankees right-handed pitcher Clarke Schmidt. First pitch is at 4:05 p.m PT.