New York Yankees 2 – Oakland Athletics 6
Chris Capuano faced Sonny Gray in a tough matchup on the West Coast road trip.
After a harmless first inning, Capuano allowed a pair of walks and a single that loaded the bases but a ground out from Mark Canha kept the A’s off the board. Through the first two innings, Capuano implemented the “bend not break” style of pitching. Threading the needle with “bend not break” can only last so long and Capuano discovered that in the third inning.
Billy Burns started the third inning with a double. Marcus Semien followed with a single to put runners on the corners. The 11th error for Chase Headley plated the first run of the game when a ground ball hit the lip of the grass and squirted through the legs of the Yankees third baseman. A deep double to left field scored the second run of the game as the Athletics started to pull away. A second double in the inning, this one by Stephen Vogt, brought in two more runs and the A’s pulled ahead with a four-run third inning.
Through the first four innings, Sonny Gray did not allow a hit while walking one in the first inning. In the fifth inning, Gray faced one of the hottest bats on the Yankees of late.
Yankees catcher Brian McCann erased a zero in his statistics when he hit his first road home run of the season last year. It was his third home run in three games but tonight, McCann extended his home run streak. Yes, home run streak.
In the fourth consecutive game, Brian McCann delivered the long ball. His eighth home run of the year is also his second home run on the road. It ended the early talks of a Sonny Gray no-hitter and reduced the Yankees’ deficit to three.
After the difficult third inning, Capuano retired seven of the next eight batters he faced, finishing his start on a small positive. In 5 1/3 innings, Capuano allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out four.
The Yankees scored their second run of the day with a ground out but the deficit still stood at two.
In the eighth inning, rookie Jacob Lindgren was put into a high leverage situation. Looking to keep other arms fresh, Lindgren was tossed into the deep end of the pool. After a walk started the inning, Brett Lawrie hit a two-run home run that increased the A’s lead to four. The four-run deficit was too much for the Yankees to overcome despite bringing the potential winning run at the plate.
Win – Sonny Gray (6-2)
Loss – Chris Capuano (0-3)
Notables
Yankees
*Brian McCann – 1 for 4, R, Solo home run (8) in the 5th, RBI (32)
*Brett Gardner – 1 for 3, BB, RBI (21)
Athletics
*Stephen Vogt – 2 for 3, R, BB, 2B, 2 RBI (35)
*Brett Lawrie – 1 for 4, R, Two-run home run (4) in the 8th, 2 RBI (20)
Current Yankees Record: 25-24
