Game #124: A’s ensure series loss, fall to Marlins 5-3

The A’s dropped their second straight game to the Marlins, falling to Miami 5-3 in the middle game of the three game series.

The A’s have been marching out a bunch of rookie starting pitchers this year and they got an encouraging start from one of those arms tonight. Unfortunately the bats couldn’t back him up, providing a late trio of runs in the ninth inning to make it interesting at the end.

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Starting pitcher Zach Logue had arguably his best start of the season tonight. After throwing a 10-pitch 1-2-3 top of the first, he stranded a runner on second in the second. The Marlins finally broke through with a leadoff home run in the top of the third, but Logue retired the next six in a row.

The offense, meanwhile, didn’t do much of anything through the first five innings, collecting just 2 singles and a walk, never getting a runner past first base.

A leadoff double in the fifth against Logue and a groundout put a Miami base runner at third and prompted manager Mark Kotsay to turn to righty workhorse Domingo Acevedo, with Logue only at 66 pitches.

• Zach Logue: 5 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K, 66 pitches

The rookie lefty has had a lot of struggles in his rookie year but this was not one of those nights. He had a career-high 7 K’s and bounced back from a couple rough outings. The fact that he was facing the Miami lineup for a third time was probably what made Kotsay turn to the ‘pen, but it didn’t work out tonight for the A’s.

Acevedo just did not have it tonight. His outing went like this:

Walk

Single

Groundout moves runners up

2-run double

RBI single

Flyout to finally end the inning

When the inning was over the Marlins had scored four times, and with the offense struggling that seemed line a mountain to climb.

The A’s tried answering the Marlins with their own rally, loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning. They didn’t cash in any runs, however, and that would come back to haunt them.

Oakland rallied in the ninth for three runs thanks to four hits and a sac fly, but they still ultimately came up short tonight.

The loss secures the series loss, but it’s probably best for the club to avoid the sweep. They’ll be facing a familiar face tomorrow afternoon in Jesus Luzardo, who will take the mound for Miami. The A’s will counter with Cole Irvin, who has been fantastic at the Coliseum this year.