And secure at least a series win!
The Athletics topped the Rockies tonight, beating them xxxx, winning their 30th game of the season and securing a series win.
The bats picked up from right where they left off yesterday. The bats got to work early as they loaded the bases in the top of the first:
A’s get out to another early lead in Colorado
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 30, 2023
That Seth Brown sac fly brought in one run and that was it for that frame, but there was more to come.
The top of the second saw the A’s really go to work as they brought in five runs to really inflate the lead. Two walks, a sac bunt, wild pitch, and sacrifice fly brought two runs in, and then Zack Gelof came to the plate:
Zack at it again‼️@ZackGelof homers in his second straight game! pic.twitter.com/bY5hRbii1B
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) July 30, 2023
That’s his third career bomb MLB already, and his second in two days. I think he likes hitting in Colorado.
And they weren’t done there. A HBP brought All-Star Brent Rooker to the plate and he mashed his own home run, #17 on the year for him:
Rookin’ at high altitude pic.twitter.com/VzfGHzPqUV
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) July 30, 2023
That capped the 5-run outburst for the inning. I think the A’s like hitting at Coors Field.
Meanwhile Paul Blackburn wasn’t letting Colorado back into this game. He allowed single runs in the second and third innings but otherwise kept Colorado from stringing together a rally. In what could have been his final start for Oakland, Blackburn delivered just the kind of start the A’s needed and expected heading into the year:
Blackburn was dialed in tonight
— A’s on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 30, 2023
If he is indeed on the trade block, you gotta think tonight boosted his value for the A’s. Keeping any offense down in Colorado is an accomplishment.
Things quieted down from there. Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth innings but the A’s got back to it in the sixth. Oakland got back to scoring by putting up a 4-spot in the top of the sixth thanks to a Rooker sac fly, a Laureano 2-RBI double, and a Tyler Soderstrom RBI single. The lead was now 10-2 and it was just a matter of time until this one was in the books.
Lefty Sam Long relieved Blackburn for the seventh and had a perfect frame, Tayler Scott only allowed one run in his lone inning of work, and Angel Felipe finish this game off with a perfect bottom of the ninth, locking in Oakland’s 30th win of the season.
With the month of July wrapping up tomorrow, the A’s will have an excellent chance to secure a sweep against a fellow bottom-dwelling team. Sadly the Kansas City Royals won tonight so the A’s are still technically the worst team in the league but they are right on the heels of those Royals.
Oakland finishes off the month of July and this series tomorrow afternoon. Rookie Luis Medina is scheduled for the start and he’ll be opposed by lefty Ty Blach. Let’s secure this sweep!