A’s vs. Yankees game thread

A’s look to avoid a series loss to the Bronx Bombers

After last night’s extra-inning 4-2 loss, the A’s will look for some revenge tonight in game two over the New York Yankees. In the last Saturday-slated A’s baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum it’s JP Sears of the green and gold taking the ball against Carlos Rodon.

On April 22nd, Sears threw six shutout innings allowing three hits and striking out seven Yankees in a A’s win at the Bronx. A lot has happened on both sides since but some similar results to avoid a series loss would be nice from Sears tonight. This is one of the last couple times we’ll see the A’s leader in starts, strikeouts, innings pitched, WHIP and much more so let’s end it on a high-note.

Here is the lineup Mark Kotsay wrote behind Sears tonight:

Rodon will make his 31st start of the season to complete the southpaw showdown. Facing Rodon is kind of like eating one of those Starburst two-packs — you never know what you’re going to get. He’s 15-9 on the season but has pitched with an ERA in the low and mid 4’s all season. He’ll strike a lot of guys out but you’ll also see a fair share of walks and home runs.

Back on April 22nd the A’s saw a dominant and in-control Rodon as he threw seven scoreless allowing just one hit. Rodon pitched to an impressive 2.54 ERA after that start leading into May; he then had a 7.76 ERA in June allowing 21 hits and 16 runs in his final two starts.

Enough with the Rodon tangent. Below is the always dangerous Yankees lineup behind him tonight with Juan Soto making his return to the starting nine. Soto got the night off with a sore knee last night until he played hero with the eventual go-ahead RBI double in the tenth.

Let’s go A’s!