Oakland A’s Brent Rooker slugs a top of the fourth inning two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia on Sun Jul 14, 2024 (AP photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Oakland A’s (36-61) were looking to take a series off the best team in baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies (62-33) Sunday afternoon. The series was tied going into game three and the A’s had a little something for the Phillies.

When the dust had settled, Oakland came away with a 18-3 win. Lawrence Butler had a huge game with three home runs that brought 6 runs in. Collectively, Oakland had eight home runs in this game scoring in six frames.

Game recap: Philadelphia took an early 1-0 lead off a Trae Turner home run but the A’s had a little something that was brewing as this game went into the fourth inning. For most of the game the Phillies were merely spectators watching home runs sail out of their park.

In the fourth inning, Brent Rooker got the marathon going hitting a two-run home run taking the lead 2-1. Oakland went on a wild run for the next two innings. In the fifth inning the red-hot Lawrence Butler hit another two run home run with Max Schuemann on base taking a 4-1 lead.

There were more long balls coming for the A’s in the sixth inning. Rooker had his second home run of the game, a two-run homer with JJ Bleday on base taking a 6-1 lead. Seth Brown would add another run in the sixth, a solo home run and the A’s took a 7-1 lead into bottom of the inning. We all know how explosive the Phillies can be and so there would be no sitting back on this lead.

Philadelphia scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bryson Stott sacrificed to left and both Alec Bohm and Bryce Harper scored on errors but still trailing 7-3.

There would be more home run action in the top of the seventh inning when Butler hit his second home run of the game with Schuemann on base extending their lead to 9-3. Rooker hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh driving Bleday home from third. Bleday had hit a triple in the inning.

Seth Brown came to the plate in the top of the eighth inning hitting a solo home run giving the A’s an 11-3 lead. This was great to see from Brown who had struggled in the first half of the season. The home run derby continued when Butler knocked a hat trick out of the park with Schuemann on base and Oakland was cruising to the tune of 13-3. Through eight innings the A’s had hit seven home runs and had 11 hits in this game.

Oakland was not finished and there would be another home run in the ninth inning to add to the collection of long balls. Zach Gelof wanted in on the action and went the distance with a grand slam. Brown had singled earlier in the inning driving Bleday home and Oakland had an insurmountable 18-3 lead. They were three outs away from annihilating the Philadelphia Phillies. They took this home, and what a way to go into the break. The final was 18-3.

The A’s hit eight home runs in the game and had 15 hits. Butler had another amazing game with the three home runs, and Rooker had a couple himself. Butler had three huge hits, Bleday had three hits and Brown also had three hits. The A’s had a blow-out win today and a series win over the best team in baseball showcasing some amazing offense.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon on the eve of All-Star week, the A’s took on the Phillies in the third game of their series. Oakland got a series win over the best team in baseball crushing the Phillies in game three of the series. The A’s got beaten Saturday by a significant margin 11-5 despite a rally in the ninth inning to tie up this series.

Joey Estes started the game for Oakland pitched six innings allowed four hits and two earned runs. The Phillies relief pitcher Orion Kerkering started going just one inning and went unscathed. with right-hander Michael Mercado operating in a bulk role pitched four innings allowed five hits and six runs. Zach Wheeler was scheduled to take the mound but Philadelphia decided to give their ace a little more rest after he experienced back tightness in his last game.

Oakland will now get a chance to relax and root on Mason Miller in the All-Star game. They will not see action until next Friday night when they take on the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series at the Coliseum. Pitching assignments are still up in the air right now but first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM.