Elephant Rumblings: Ruiz and Rooker reach milestones in season finale

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!

The A’s season is officially over, closing out yesterday with a 7-3 loss to the Angels. The 2023 Athletics finished last in the AL West for a second consecutive season, posting an Oakland-era record low 50 wins against 112 losses. In 2022, the A’s went 60-112.

JP Sears, Kyle Muller, and Mason Miller all struggled on the mound, allowing the Angels to put a lucky number on the scoreboard. The A’s offense couldn’t keep up with the Halos, but Esteury Ruiz and Brent Rooker topped their seasons off in dramatic fashion to keep the season finale interesting for A’s fans.

Ruiz was agressive from the start. He managed just his 20th walk of the season to lead the game off, but was promptly picked off at first by Angels pitcher Carson Fulmer.

Ruiz got aboard again in the third on a fielder’s choice. After advancing to second base on a steal attempt that turned out to be a balk, Esteury stole third to set a new all-time AL record for stolen bases by a rookie.

Rooker’s 30th homer isn’t as rare a feat as Ruiz’s steal record, but for Brent to finally do it on exactly his final at-bat of the season heightened the drama of the moment considerably.

Rooker was one of the A’s best hitters and their lone All-Star in 2023—definitely one of the best pickups the A’s front office made last offseason.

Congrats to Esteury Ruiz and Brent Rooker on capping off their seasons so memorably! Time to sit back and see how the Postseason shakes out between all those...other teams.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s fall to Angels 7-3 in regular season finale
• The Confounding Esteury Ruiz
• Ruiz, Rooker finish strong, cap 2023 with milestones
• Celebrating the best Giants and A’s in ugly year for Bay Area baseball ($)
• California has the worst owner in baseball. But is it Anaheim’s Moreno or Oakland’s Fisher? ($)
• Arizona Fall League 2023 season preview: Each MLB team’s prospects to watch ($)

MLB News & Interest:

• MLB playoff bracket format, rules and wild-card standings: Live news tracker ($)
• Tim Wakefield, Red Sox knuckleballer and 2-time World Series champion, dies at 57 ($)
• MLB playoff standings and wild card updates: 5 teams clinch spots ($)
• Bob Melvin’s pending status hangs over everything as Padres enter uncertain offseason ($)
• Buck Showalter Will Not Return As Mets Manager In 2024
• Coaching Notes: Guardians, Albernaz, Giants, Yankees, Casey, White Sox
• 2023 MLB awards: Keith Law’s hypothetical ballot has Betts over Acuña for NL MVP ($)
• AL West Notes: Mariners, Astros, Angels
• Emotional exit? Giants’ Brandon Crawford era may have reached its end ($)
• Giants coach Craig Albernaz to be interviewed for Guardians job ($)
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

End of season greetings from Zack Gelof.

The silver lining being that he carried a big workload in his rookie year.

Tim Wakefield dies at age 57.