The Oakland A’s Abraham Toro (right) scores in the in front of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (right) in the bottom of the second inning at Oakland Coliseum on Tue Apr 30, 2024 (AP News photo)

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Pittsburgh (14-17). 100 100 000. 2. 5. 0

Athletics (13-17). 020 010 020. 5. 8. 0

Time: 2:02

Attendance: 3,876

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Tuesday night’s come from behind 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates was their third straight triumphed and their fifth win in their last six games. Rookie Taylor Nevin continued to amaze with his hitting, and JJ Bleday was responsible for 60% of the A’s scoring. And let’s not forget the phenomenal mound mastery of Mason Miller, the relief revelation of the young season.

The A’s chose as their starting pitcher 10 year veteran Alex Wood, who spent the last three seasons toiling for the Giants as they descended from 107 games winners to mediocrity. Whoever writes the Athletics’ game notes has a sense of humor, because they gave the title of “Qualifications” to this summary of the lefty’s record: “Has compiled a 6.59 ERQ … which is sixth highest in the majors among pitchers with at least 25 innings pitched … using the same minimum, he has the highest opponents OPS (1.018), on-base percentage (.444), and slugging percentage (.574) and third most pitches per inning (19.2).

Wood lived down to his numbers tonight. He escaped with a no decision that shaved 0.27 runs from his ERA, lowering it to 6.32. He threw 93 pitches in just four innings of work and allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits, one a home run, on four walks. He also struck out four.

Mitch Keller, the Pirates’ starting pitcher, had a better 2023 than Wood. He pitched in the all-star game and also set the Pittsburgh franchise record for strikeouts by a right handed pitcher, with 210. He wound up the year with a record of 13-9, 4.21 and came to work tonight at 2-2, 5.14.

He ended his stint after throwing 96 pitches, 59 for for strikes, over five mediocre frames, in which he gave up 3 runs, all earned, on five hits and two walks. He took the loss and now is 2-2, 5.18.

The Pirates wasted no time in jumping to an early lead. Connor Joe, batting third, drove a 2-2, 91 mph sinker over the left field scoreboard for his third home run of the year. Like on Monday night, the A’s trailed 1-0 before their first turn at bat.

Undaunted, the A’s pulled ahead in the bottom of the second. Shea Langeliers defied The Curse of the Leadoff Double by scoring on Abraham Toro’s game tying single to right. Toro then went to second on single to right by Darell Hernaiz and scored when Tyler Nevin extended his consecutive game hitting streak to eight with a Texas League single that dropped safely in front of Edward Oliveras in right. It now was 2-1 in favor of the resurgent Athletics.

But not for long. Leading off in the top of the fourth, Jared Triolo singled to center and advanced to second when Wood walked Michael A. Taylor. Alika Williams moved both runners up on a sacrifice bunt to third that was originally called a hit. But the A’s challenged first base umpire Tony Randazzo’s safe call, and the ruling his decision was overturned on video review. A sacrifice fly to right by Ke’Bryan Hayes knotted the score at two all.

Mitch Spence relieved Wood to start the next, fifth, inning, and allowed only an infield single. That meant that JJ Bleday’s second four bagger of 2024, a 399 foot blast to right, returned the lead to the A’s, 3-2. The shot came off an 84 mph sweeper.

Luis Ortiz hurled a scoreless sixth for Pittsburgh in spite of a double by Toro. Josh Fleming, who replaced him for the seventh, wasn’t as successful. Bleday slammed a 417 foot shot to center for his second homer of the evening, making this his first career multi-homer game. Nick Allen, running for Nevins, who had singled, was on base. That meant that Bleday’s shot made the score 5-2 and that Bleday had driven in three of the Athletics’ five runs.

Lucas Erceg protected that three run margin by striking out the three Pirates he faced in the eighth, setting the stage for Mason Miller to earn his eighth save in as any opportunities by setting the side down on three straight Ks.

The Athletics will go for the sweep tomorrow, Wednesday, afternoon at 12:37. Ross Stripling, who’s lost five games, will be looking for his first win of the season and to lower his ERA of 4.98. He’ll go against the Bucos’ righting Quinn Priester ((0-1, 3.48)