The Major League Baseball season is long, at six months and 162 games. It can feel even longer when you’re following a rebuilding team, like A’s fans have done the last two years. It’s important to stop and appreciate the finer moments when they come along.
This is one of those moments. Oakland hosted the Tigers over the weekend, and in each of the final two games they broke Detroit closer Francisco Rodriguez for a 9th-inning comeback and a walk-off win.
This is K-Rod we’re talking about. The guy who helped lead the Angels to a World Series title, albeit in doing so he prevented the Giants from winning but stay focused here. He’s fourth all-time in saves, and he holds the single-season record thanks to also holding the single-season record in save opportunities. He is extremely easy to dislike for many reasons, and I take the beaten path in that regard.
Fortunately, this weekend the A’s would not allow him to celebrate on their field.
The first meeting came on Saturday. Oakland entered the 9th trailing by one, and they quickly found themselves with two out and an 0-2 count to Bruce Maxwell. But the rookie catcher hung in there, and eventually worked a walk to keep the game alive. Matt Joyce followed with a double to the wall, and then Adam Rosales lined a single to score them both for the 6-5 victory.
Down to their final out, @Athletics didn’t blink. https://t.co/k49sEbfpC5 #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/mAtbVw458B
— MLB (@MLB) May 7, 2017
(Click here to see the full rally.)
Pie for Rosie!!
Pie time! @arosie7 #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/Dd90NCxs0T
— Oakland A's ⚾️ (@Athletics) May 7, 2017
The two teams played their finale less than 16 hours later, as a Sunday afternoon getaway game. It was a back-and-forth affair, and the Tigers once again held a one-run lead entering the 9th. K-Rod was summoned anew, surely hungry after the previous night’s failure. But he would not be sated on this day, just as he hadn’t been on the last.
Oakland didn’t cut things so close this time around. They got their leadoff man aboard via a Rajai Davis walk, and Jed Lowrie quickly doubled to the wall to drive him in for the tying run. K-Rod managed to record one out after that, but then Ryon Healy strode to the plate. Although Rosie’s single on Saturday had been thrilling, Healy unleashed something far more decisive.
(Click here to see the full rally.)
Game, set, match: An 8-6 victory for the A’s.
And of course there was pie. And punch. And gum. And more pie.
Back-to-back pies? #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/67WknrSyhc
— Oakland A's ⚾️ (@Athletics) May 7, 2017
The Dubble Bubble crown!
It's a look. #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/jViOU3EYsp
— Oakland A's ⚾️ (@Athletics) May 8, 2017
There might well be dark days ahead. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but sometime over the next five months we will feel sad. Bookmark this post for those times, so that you can look back on happier memories. Because no matter what else happens during this rebuilding season, we’ll always have that time the A’s walked off against K-Rod two games in row, in under 24 hours. Just like we still have that time in 2005 he let the walk-off run score by missing the throw back from his catcher.
Light up the sign, friends.
Holy. Toldedo.
— Oakland A's ⚾️ (@Athletics) May 7, 2017
FINAL: #Athletics 8, Tigers 6. #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/v57OIMNxfs