Game #27: A’s Sweep Rangers in 6-5 Walk-Off

The A’s came into this series reeling, both offensively and defensively after being swept by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. What a difference a couple of days (and the Texas Rangers) make! After decisive wins on Monday (6-1) and Tuesday (11-5), the A’s sweated out a back and forth contest on Wednesday afternoon, finally prevailing on a walk-off, winning 6-5, to complete the three game sweep and finish the homestand 4-4.

Game Preview + Game Thread

On a warm eighty degree day, the A’s and Rangers broke out the lumber, combining for 11 runs, 18 hits and 5 home runs in the 3 ¹⁄₂ hour contest.

Aaron Brooks started for on the mound for the A’s, going five innings and allowing six hits and three runs (2 home runs) with seven strikeouts. Brooks left with a 5-3 lead, but Yusmeiro Petit allowed a run in the sixth inning and Joakim Soria allowed another run (on a wild pitch) in the seventh inning to tie the game at 5 and leave Brooks with a no-decision.

On the offensive side of the baseball, Marcus Semien provided the big blast early, crushing a three run home run that just stayed fair in the second inning to give the A’s an early 3-1 lead.

After the Rangers tied it at 3 in the 4th (thanks to solo home runs from Nomar Mazaro and Logan Forsythe), the A’s took back the lead again in the fifth. Matt Chapman as he has been all homestand, was in the middle of the action, crushing a solo homer the opposite way.

Jurickson Profar provided another big hit in the inning, singling home Stephen Piscotty to put the A’s up 5-3.

After the Rangers tied it in the seventh inning, the teams traded zeroes in the 8th inning.
Blake Treinen (1-1), came into the game with score tied in the top of the ninth inning. Treinen surrendered walks to Logan Forsythe and Hunter Pence (is anyone else a tad concerned with Treinen’s wildness so far this season?), he bore down and induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the Rangers ninth inning rally and give the A’s an opportunity to walk off in the bottom of the inning.

The bottom of the ninth began with a Chapman ground out and then a key single off the bat of Stephen Piscotty. After a Khris Davis fly out, Piscotty stole second base (his first of the 2019 season and 15th of his career!) with Chad Pinder up. Then on a 1-1 pitch, with Piscotty now on second in scoring position, Chad Pinder did something he had never done before...

The A’s end the homestand with their first sweep of the 2019 season and now head back onto the road, flying north of the border to Canada to take on the Blue Jays over the weekend before going into Boston. The Green and Gold are back over .500,
Celebration Time, Come On!!!