A’s lose 4-3 on a walk-off single

A game of two halves with the latter being as disorderly as they come

Combine two of baseballs bottom ten offenses and you’ll get an eight-hit three-run barn burner. Exhibit A was last night where the A’s thankfully scored all three of those runs en-route to an impressive road victory.

The A’s and Tampa Bay Rays looked like they’d outdo themselves for the first half of tonight’s game. Joey Estes and Ryan Pepiot dueled impressively through five frames but as soon as they departed, absolute chaos ensued in the form of two-out RBI hits, baserunning blunders, outfield assists, robbed home runs and more.

And in the end, it was the Rays with the last laugh thanks to a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth by Jose Siri to earn the 4-3 victory. Siri won the game with his bat but he also did it with his glove the half inning before with an epic web gem in centerfield to keep the score tied.

Usually the A’s scoring first warrants a good result, but not with tonight’s craziness. JJ Bleday led off the fourth inning with a triple to left and two batters later, last nights hero Miguel Andujar clutched up again with a sacrifice fly to put the A’s ahead.

The Rays would retaliate immediately in the bottom half ending a rough offensive patch in the process. They’d gone their last 12 innings against the A’s scoreless while recording just four hits but that all changed with a hit-by-pitch and another triple. Suddenly the score was knotted again at one.

Before the Rays run Estes was in total control as he retired the first eight batters he saw on the day, and he rebounded strong after too.

Estes wound up going five innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five to drop his era by 1.37. One brutal outing amongst his four against the Houston Astros really skew the numbers but he’s been nails for the rest of his three. It’s too bad Estes only has the one win to show for it.

Pepiot was great in his own regard pitching 5.2 innings of two-run ball striking out seven in his second start back from the Injured List. That second run was aided by the A’s knocking Pepiot out of the game.

A one-out Abraham Toro double followed by a groundout and walk set up runners at the corners and Pepiot’s departure still with the score tied. Kevin Kelly was inserted in relief, and Andujar did it again with a perfectly placed swinging bunt to put the A’s ahead, 2-1.

With two more RBIs today, Andujar has seven on the season which is just as many as Lawrence Butler in 91 less at-bats. It’s also two more than J.D. Davis in 96 less.

Again however, the Rays tied it right back up in the bottom half against Tyler Ferguson with a Brandon Lowe double and Jonathan Aranda single. Randy Arozarena doubled next to set up second and third with just one-out, and some risky Rays baserunning really played themselves out of the inning.

Amed Rosario grounded a ball to Max Schuemann at short, and Aranda broke home but was tossed out. Two down. Then after Scott Alexander was called in relief, the always-flashy Arozarena made a business decision with a .033 hitter at the plate that he’d still likely regret as he was caught trying to steal home.

Every A’s fans besides myself had to have been itching for them to take advantage of the exciting defensive play at the dish, but unfortunately they didn’t immediately and the Rays added on.

With two outs in the seventh, a Richie Palacios single with the best part of the Rays lineup ahead forced Mark Kotsay to opt for Austin Adams in the pen. Palacios stole second and Yandy Diaz walked for Isaac Paredes, and he smacked a double down the left-field line to put the Rays ahead 3-2.

Diaz was gunned down by about 35 feet at home plate trying to extend the lead to two on the play, and this time the A’s were able to take advantage of the momentum offensively.

Schuemann led off the inning reaching on a Paredes error and moved to second on a groundout. Bleday stepped up next and sent a single to left but Schuemann was held up at third. Arozarena’s throw from left missed the cut-off man and went directly home to Rays catcher Alex Jackson, and Jackson threw out Bleday trying to take second but in the process Schuemann scampered home.

Whether Bleday meant to bait the throw or not isn’t really important but we’ll just say he did. Credit Schuemann though for being aware.

In the ninth, the chaos was somehow still far from over.

Andujar began the inning with a lead-off double but he was stranded at second after three straight quick outs. What won’t be shown in the box score, however, is the terrible luck the A’s had with those outs. Shea Langeliers sharply grounded out, Daz Cameron lined out, and Zack Gelof was robbed off a two-run home run on a terrific leaping grab in center by Siri.

Even if it’s not an A’s highlight it’s worth a show because it depicts how close Gelof and the rest of the A’s were to winning this game after a hectic last few innings.

Siri’s ten minutes of stardom concluded the next half as he walked-off the A’s with a base-hit to left field. Michael Kelly surrendered the blow in the ninth instead of the usual Mason Miller in a tight situation because of the caution of using Miller back-to-back. Lucas Erceg was another option but it’s too late now.

If the A’s lose tomorrow they officially end May without a road series victory. Kyle Muller takes the ball for the first time in 2024 as a starter while the Rays haven’t named who they’ll counter with quite yet. First pitch is bright and early at 10:10 AM PDT.