Oakland A’s Brent Rooker (25) celebrates with JJ Bleday (33) after hitting a two run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Oakland Coliseum on Fri Aug 2, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Friday, August 2, 2024

Oakland’s offense was sparked by three home runs Friday, as the Athletics survived a late scare and hung on for a 6-5 interleague win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Coliseum.

The Dodgers (63-47) still maintain a four-game lead in the NL West, while Oakland (46-65) occupies the AL West cellar. The announced crowd of 21,060 was a season-high for the lame-duck A’s.

Oakland, 9-4 since the All-Star break, led the majors with 45 home runs in July and didn’t slow up as the calendar flipped to August.

Brent Rooker’s two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning – his 27th – capped a four-run rally that included an RBI double by JJ Bleday and a run-scoring triple by Miguel Andujar, giving the A’s a 6-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Shohei Ohtani smacked a 416-foot drive to right for his 33rd home run of the season, a three-run shot with two out that pulled Los Angeles to within 6-5. A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson responded by getting Will Smith to hit into a game-ending groundout.

Ohtani’s homer snapped an 0-for-15 slump, but the Dodgers still lost for the fifth time in their last six games.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the top of the first on Teoscar Hernandez’s two-run home run to left-center off A’s starter Joey Estes (5-4). It was the 23rd homer for Hernandez.

The Athletics tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth Shea Langeliers cranked a 432-foot blast to left, and two batters later, Seth Brown connected with a 420-foot shot to deep right-center. It was the 21st homer for Langeliers, and the 10th for Brown. Both were hit off Dodgers starter Gavin Stone (9-5).

Estes worked six innings, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Austin Adams, the third of five A’s pitchers, threw a 2/3 scoreless inning to pick up his 21st hold.

Stone, the first of five LA hurlers, struck out five, but also surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and a walk in four-plus innings.

Before the game, A’s infielder Darell Hernaiz (ankle) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and infielder Brett Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. Right-hander Luis Medina was transferred to the 60-day IL to create the roster spot for Hernaiz.

On Saturday, right-hander Jack Flaherty (7-5, 2.95), who was acquired by Los Angeles from Detroit before the trade deadline, will start for the Dodgers. The Athletics will counter with right-hander Mitch Spence (7-6, 4.47). Game time is 6:07 Pacific.