Oakland A’s pitcher Mason Miller was selected as the lone representative for the A’s at the 2024 All Star Game in Arlington (Athletics Nation file photo)

Sunday, July 7th, 2024

By Troy Ewers

Oakland, CA – In the Oakland Coliseum, it’s the final game of this series between the Oakland A’s and the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles fell to the A’s, 19-8 in the second game of the series. Baltimore has won seven of their last 10 games after dropping their previous five, the team’s longest since May 13-18 2022 (6 games). On the other hand, the A’s have won four of the last five games, but are 8-18 (.308) over the last 26 games… are 17-40 (.298) dating back to May 5, which is the lowest winning percentage in the majors. 

On the mound for both teams, Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15) for the A’s and Grayson Rodriguez (10-3, 3.45) for the Orioles. 

Sunday the MLB will announce the rest of the American League and National League All-Star teams at 5:30pm EST. The A’s have announced that pitcher Mason Miller will be their representative at the All Star Game in Arlington. Miller has had an amazing season saving games the leading rookie with 14. Miller also has 66 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.

Two Orioles are already named starters, Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. First time the O’s have multiple starters in the Midsummer Classic since Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz in 2014. The A’s couldn’t get some of those 19 runs they scored on Saturday and lost by three runs to the Orioles at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday 6-3. Losing two out of three in the series.

Game started with an immediate bomb being dropped on the A’s. With two outs Anthony Santander hit a solo home run off Spence, 1-0 Baltimore. Right after two straight singles, Heston Kjerstad hits a three run homer and the Orioles take 4-0 lead in the first inning. 

In the third inning, an inning where Santander got on base after Brett Harris lost the ball in the sun, Kjerstad got his second hit and brought Santander home with an RBI triple, because both JJ Bleday and Lawrence Butler lost the ball in the sun, 5-0 Orioles. 

A’s show signs of life in the sixth inning with 2 big runs. Tyler Soderstrom hits a double that scored Bleday to make it 5-1, but Shea Langeliers follows up Soderstrom with a sac fly to left that scored Brent Rooker, 5-2 Orioles as we headed into the seventh inning. 

In the seventh, Oakland kept fighting for their life as Bleday hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Butler, 5-3 Orioles still up, but the A’s showed they’re not out. 

The gap being closed to a 2 run game showed life for Oakland, but at the top of the ninth Gunnar Henderson hit a single that scored Jorge Mateo, who pinch ran for Ryan Mountcastle, 6-3 Orioles.

The A’s came into the bottom of the ninth down three runs and one final chance to get the W. Despite one single, the Orioles shut down the A’s and won the game 6-3. 

Grayson Rdriguez gets the win, Mitch Spence gets the loss, and Craig Kimbrel gets the save. 

Both teams have a day off on Monday, but the A’s next series will be Tuesday, July 9th in Boston against the Red Sox with Joey Estes (3-3, 4.39) and Bryan Bello (8-5, 5.19) on the mound for the first game.