Oakland Athletics 5 – New York Yankees 2
The series with the Oakland Athletics continues as the offense continues searching for life.
Through the first three innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed one hit but faced the minimum thanks to his excellent pickoff in the first inning. The biggest struggle for the Yankees continues to be hitting, particularly hitting with runners in scoring position.
In the first inning, Kendall Graveman gave up a double to Jacoby Ellsbury and Starlin Castro walked to put two runners on without an out. After a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Brian McCann walked to load the bases but Alex Rodriguez went down looking to strand three.
In the second inning, Didi Gregorius got the Yankees on the board the only way they currently know how to, by solo home run. The solo home run to right field was his second of the year and it put them ahead by one.
After cruising through three scoreless, Nathan Eovaldi hit the fourth inning wall. Billy Burns and Chris Coghlan hit back-to-back doubles to tie the game and Josh Reddick broke the 1-1 tie with a single to shallow left field. On the play, the A’s sent Coghlan home with Aaron Hicks in left field who made a strong throw home that Brian McCann could not handle. After a Danny Valencia single put runners on the corners, Stephen Vogt hit a sacrifice fly to center field to put the A’s ahead by two. The inning fell apart the Yankees in the field when defensive miscues by Chase Headley and Didi Gregorius put two runners on base and a base hit off of third base loaded the bases. Thankfully, Aaron Hicks and his cannon for an arm resided in left field for a fly out by Yonder Alonso. On the fly out, Danny Valencia attempted to score from third but a 105.5 MPH throw from left field gunned him down for the inning-ending double play.
On this play at home, third baseman Danny Valencia was hurt on the play, forcing the A’s to abandon the designated hitter, putting pitcher Kendall Graveman in the clean-up spot of the lineup.
In six innings, Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out seven. From an overall look, Eovaldi did not have a poor start but a struggling offense makes any deficit look ten times larger.
After a scoreless seventh inning by Kirby Yates, the Yankees appeared to have a rally after a one-out walk by Chase Headley. Against lefty Marc Rzepczynski, Didi Gregorius hit a sharp single to center that was misplayed by outfielder Billy Burns to put two runners in scoring position. In flashbacks to last April, a critical error on the bases by Didi Gregorius took the air out of a potential rally. On a ground ball to the left of third baseman Chris Coghlan, Gregorius attempted to get to third on the play but was tagged out before a throw to first got the batter, Hicks, to end the inning and negating the run scoring from third base. The play was challenged and reviewed but ultimately upheld, earning a roar of boos from the Yankee Stadium crowd.
Even with a struggling offense, a two-run deficit was within reach but Branden Pinder made his 2016 debut and wishes he had another try at it. Pinch-hitter Billy Butler started with a single and Stephen Vogt followed with a single of his own. Jed Lowrie walked to load the bases and Khris Davis hit a two-run single to center field to extend the A’s lead to four. A double play and a strikeout wrapped up this inning but the damage was too much.
Carlos Beltran maintained his hot hitting when he hit a solo home run to right field against Ryan Dull but it simply brought the Yankees within three, a deficit that they lost by tonight.
Win – Kendall Graveman (1-1)
Loss – Nathan Eovaldi (0-2)
Save – Sean Doolittle (2)
Notables
Athletics
*Billy Burns – 3 for 5, R, 2 2B
*Stephen Vogt – 2 for 3, R, 2B, RBI (4)
Yankees
*Didi Gregorius – 2 for 4, R, Solo home run (2) in the 2nd, RBI (4)
*Carlos Beltran – 1 for 4, R, Solo home run (4) in the 8th, RBI (9)
Current Yankees Record: 5-8
