No team likely to win when giving up 35 runs in three days
After heading “home” playing .500 ball in Seattle, the Athletics dropped the first two games of the 3-game homestand to the visiting Chicago Cubs at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Hoping to get back into the win column, the A’s sent 32-year-old lefty Jeffrey Springs to the mound to face 33-year-old right hander Jameson Taillon.
Springs got into early trouble, reminiscent of the first two games of the series, but after putting the first two Cubs on base he struck out two of the next three batters to escape the inning. The Cubs got on the board first in the second inning when Nico Hoerner walked, then stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carson Kelley. Ian Happ singled, moving Matt Shaw to third. Seiya Suzuki homered to left centerfield scoring Shaw and Happ. That brought the score to 4-0.
In the bottom of the second, the A’s loaded the bases without a hit. An error by Matt Shaw at third allowed Shea Langeliers to reach first, then the next two batters walked. But Max Muncy popped up to Pete Crow-Armstrong in centerfield to kill the rally.
The Cubs scored again in the top of the third. Justin Turner singled and reached second on a fielder’s choice and an error. Shaw drove in Turner with a base hit, and Carson Kelly walked to load the bases. Ian Happ popped out to left fielder Seth Brown to end the inning, but not before the Cubs extended their lead to 5-0.
The Athletics got on the board in the bottom of the third when Lawrence Butler led off the inning with a walk and Brent Rooker launched his third home run of the young season into the left field seats. At the end of three, the score was 5-2.
Jeffrey Springs was lifted in the top of the fourth after 82 pitches. It was not comparable to his last outing against Seattle. Mitch Spence relieved him and promptly gave up the second homer of the day to Seiya Suzuki. Fortunately, this one was a solo shot. Another walk came back to haunt the A’s pitchers when Tucker walked, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Nico Hoerner. He moved to second on a wild throw home by Butler. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to score Hoerner. But midway through the fourth, the Cubs led 8-2.
A’s newcomer Angel Perdomo entered the game to pitch the sixth and threw a clean inning. Perdomo was signed March 30 off waivers from the Angels and today was his A’s debut. In the seventh inning, Perdomo hit Pete Crow-Armstrong. The speedy centerfielder stole second and scored on a bloop single by Shaw. Carson Kelly walked moving Shaw to second with just one out. That sent Perdomo out of the game and Mark Kotsay brough Jose Leclerc in to close out the inning. Seiya Suzuki logged his fifth RBI of the game with a base hit scoring Shaw from second. Leclerc walked Kyle Tucker to load the bases.
Righty Brad Keller replaced Taillon in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up a walk to Lawrence Butler but got Brent Rooker to ground out to end the inning. Despite it not being a save situation, Kotsay brought his closer, Mason Miller, to close out the ninth. He threw a 1-2-3 inning with two K’s, but the A’s offense faltered in the ninth. The final outing of the three-game sweep ended with a 10-2 score.
The A’s are off tomorrow before heading to Colorado to face the 1-3 Rockies for a three-game set beginning on Friday.