Oakland A’s runner Brett Harris (left) dives in safely at second base as the Texas Rangers Josh Smith (right) puts on the tag just a bit too late in the bottom of the sixth inning of the second game of a doubleheader at the Oakland Coliseum on Wed May 8, 2024 (AP News photo)
Texas (21-17). 014 200 032. 12. 16. 1
Athletics (18-21). 022 200 014. 11. 14. 1
Time: 3:33
Attendance: 8,230
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
By Lewis Rubman
OAKLAND–After halting their losing streak at three in the first game of this lovely sunny day’s double header on Wedensday, the Athletics came up short in the nightcap, falling 12-11 in an action packed melodrama that lasted over three and a half hours,
Both starting pitchers were recently called up right handers. Oakland sent Osvaldo Bido, whose big league experience had consisted of 50-2/3 innings with Pittsburgh, where he went 2-5, 5.86 last year. He threw 57 pitches before he was relieved, leading 2-1, after hitting Josh Smith with a pitch in the top of the third.
That hit batter loaded the bases, and so the runs they eventually scored were charged to the starter, who wound up being the losing pitcher. He gave up a total of four runs, all earned, including the three posthumous ones and notched four strikeouts against two walks, giving him a record of 0-1, 13.50.
The reason for his departure was a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Michael Kelly (1/3 of an inning, three runs, two earned), TJ McFarland (two innings, two hits), Kyle Muller (three innings, three runs, all earned, on five hits), and the newly promoted Easton Lucas, making his. season’s debut in the ninth (one inning, two runs, earned, on three hits) also pitched for the Athletics.
Jack Leiter, who started for Texas, didn’t have any big league experience before this year and probably regretted the little he had in 2024; his record at game time was 0-0, 17.18. He lasted four frames, in which he gave up six runs, four earned, on seven hits, two of them out of the park, and left with a no decision that improved his record to 0-1, 12.91).
The Rangers sent six more pitchers to the mound. The first of them, Jaob Latz, threw a one hit scoreless fifth, The second, Josh Sborz, gave up a walk to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the sixth, went 3-1 to the sixth, and then left with an undisclosed injury, replaced by David Robertson (two innings, a walk and five Ks).
He was followed by José Leclerc (one inning, one hit, one run–earned–one walk, two strikeouts), Owen White (no outs, three hits, three runs, all earned), and Kirby Yates (one inning, two hits, and a run, which was earned).
The Rangers jumped ahead early with a run in the top of the second on a two out walk to Johnah Heim,and back to back singles by Ezequiel Durán and Davis Wendzel.
In the bottom of the second, Shea Langliers picked up where he had left off in the afternoon’s opener and put the green and gold ahead with , 2-1, with a 454 foot home run to centerfield, his second of the afternoon and ninth of the season.
Seth Brown, who had led off the frame with a single, was on base, giving the A’s DH seven RBI for the day, which tied him with Reggie Jackson for the most runs batted in a double header by an Oakland Athletic, set in 1969. Maybe there should be an asterisk next to his name in the record book due to the toponym.
Michael Kelly replaced Bido after his removal in the top of the third. With Semien, who had singled, and Lowe, who had walked, on base and two away, Heim’s grounder to second just snuck past Toro and into center to drive in Lowe and Semien and send Smith to third. Travis Jankowski brought him home with a single to right, and Texas was on top, 5-2.
But the A’s fought back, scratching out a couple of runs in the bottom of the frame. Toro led off with a scratch single to second. With one out, Rooker lined a single to center that put Toro on second. Seth Brown forced Rooker out at second on a grounder to first.
Umpire Mike Estabrook called Brown safe at first, but Texas challenged that ruling, which stood on review. Langeliers then forced Brown out at second while Rooker scored, giving Langeliers another RBI and putting him ahead of Reggie for the most RBIs for the Athletics in a twin bill. (See above proviso)
The A’s coughed those two runs up in the next inning. TJ McFarland relieved Kelly with Tavares and Semien on base and nobody out. Each of them advanced a bag on Evan Carter’s ground out to first and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s single to first. It now was 7-4, Texas.
But not for long. Max Schuemann led off the bottom of the fourth with single to center and Tyler Soderstrom, recalled from Las Vegas when the rosters were expanded to 27 for the double header, celebrated by sending an 88.7 mph cutter 421 feet deep into the left centerfield seats at 106.5 6mph. The A’s now trailed by a single run, 7-6.
The A’s came close to drawing even in the bottom of sixth. Robertson delivered a fourth ball to Toro and then retired Bleday and Rooker. He walked Thyler Nevin, who had replaced Brown, bringing up Langeliers, who was having the game of a lifetime. He worked a full count, taking close pitches, and then whiffed on a fastball.
Texas put the game on ice in the eighth with two walks, a double, a stolen base, a throwing error by Sodeerstrom, now catching, and a pair of singles, with an overturned safe call at home thrown in for good measure. All that netted Texas three runs and a lead of 10-6..
Still, the A’s inched closer, picking up a run on a leadoff walk to Harris, a double by Toro, and Bleday’s RBI ground out to first, and it was 10-7.
If Texas put the game on ice in the eighth, they locked it into the deep freezer in the ninth. Lucas allowed them two more runs on three singles and a walk.
Even that wasn’t enough to make it an easy win for the Texans. Singles by Langeliers, JD Davis, Schuemann, and Toro, Bleday’s double, a sac fly by Harris, and a balk combined to bring the A’s within a run of tying it up against Owen White and Kirby Yates. Later pitched to six batters, counting an intentional walk to Rooker, to earn his seventh save. Robertson, now 2-0, 0.87, was the winning pitcher.
The Athletes are off to Seattle, where Paul Blackburn (3-0, 3.00) will face a Seattle pitcher to be announced on Friday evening at 6:40. They return to the empty confines of the Coliseum on Tuesday, May 21 to do battle with the Colorado Rockies.
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