By Morris Phillips
OAKLAND–Jared Koenig, a 28-year old pitcher who’s never been anything special according to scouting reports, was just that on Sunday afternoon.
Koenig, who’s seemingly toiled professionally everywhere except the Major Leagues until now, pitched into the sixth inning, allowing two hits and no runs to pick up his initial big league win in front of friends and his father, Greg, up from Aptos, CA.
“He didn’t strike anyone out but he got through 5 2/3 with a lot of contact and a good defense behind him,” manager Mark Kotsay said of Koenig. “For him, his journey through independent ball, through Australia, through the minor leagues, it’s a great reward for him.”
“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m able to be successful out here,” Koenig said with a big smile on his face. “Today was awesome.”
Good news couldn’t come any sooner for Koenig, who lost his first two Oakland starts, and the A’s, who had lost 25 of 32, and the first two games of their series with the Royals. But on Sunday, with 14,341 in attendance at the Coliseum, the defense was staunch, the pitching stingy and Seth Brown and Sean Murphy supplied big home runs to end an eight-game slide at home.
The Royals ended a week in the Bay Area with little noise. They managed rallies in the third off Koenig, and the sixth but both were quelled with Domingo Acevedo coming on to retire Michael Taylor Jr. to end the sixth. Kansas City had won three straight, but starter Brady Singer allowed the home run to Seth Brown and he set the table in the sixth, prior to Murphy’s home run off Jose Cuas that put the A’s up four runs.
“Cuas has been really good,” manager Mike Matheny said. “He did a great job of getting that first out. Made a really good pitch to get that pop-up, then unfortunately got too much of the middle of the plate against Murphy and it cost us three runs.”
The A’s have won just 3 of their last 18, but they avoided getting swept by the Royals, who have the second worst record in the American League but looked “noticeably worse” in comparison according to local journalist Ben Ross, who covered Friday’s game.
The A’s afternoon had its moment when Tony Kemp, running hard from first base looked to take advantage of a base hit that was booted by centerfielder Taylor enough to keep Kemp churning to home plate. But after a beautiful slide eluded Salvador Perez, replay showed that Kemp’s back pocket, turned inside out and flapping was tagged by Perez, something only replay could catch. Kemp, on review, was called out.
“The most 2022 Oakland A’s play ever…” Kemp termed it.
The A’s are off on Monday and open a three-game set with the Mariners on Tuesday. James Kaprelian will face Marco Gonzales of Seattle in the opener.
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