OAKLAND — With the A’s leading by three runs heading into the top of the eighth inning, manager Mark Kotsay began to employ a familiar formula: Lucas Erceg for the eighth, All-Star Mason Miller for the ninth.
Miller never took the mound. And it wasn’t because Oakland tacked on insurance runs.
Erceg failed to retire any of the four batters that he faced, setting the stage for the Angels’ (42-57) game-altering five-run eighth inning, a frame that resulted in the A’s (39-62) losing 8-5, on Sunday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum.
“It was kind of two games,” said manager Mark Kotsay. “We played good for seven (innings); eight and nine are a different story.”
As Oakland’s set-up man, Erceg had pitched well to close out the first half, not allowing a run in his last nine appearances prior to the All-Star Break. But Sunday, his first appearance since July 12, would become the fourth time in his career he’s failed to record an out in a game.
Logan O’Hoppe singled off Erceg to set the table in the eighth. Zach Neto did, too. Following a wild pitch, Erceg hit Brandon Drury, then walked Jo Adell with the bases loaded, cutting Oakland’s advantage to 5-3. Kotsay removed Erceg and called upon Scott Alexander to put out a bases-loaded, no-out fire. Alexander had no such luck.
Nolan Schanuel singled home a run to slice Oakland’s lead to 5-4. Anthony Rendon then grounded into an RBI groundout. Game tied. Kevin Pillar doubled home two, and Los Angeles led 7-5. Following Pillar’s two-run double, Kotsay went to Michel Otañez, his third reliever of the frame, who struck out Taylor Ward and Willie Calhoun to mercifully end the inning.
“I think I was just out of rhythm, maybe trying to place the ball instead of trying to move down the mound efficiently,” Erceg said. “I think it was a little over a week since I pitched, including the All-Star Break, but I’m not going to make any excuses. I didn’t do my job today. At the end of the day, I’m healthy, I felt good. I just had a bad day; that’s what I’m going to chalk it up to. I’m going to be ready to go tomorrow.”
Added Kotsay: “The two-seamer was really taking off on him. He didn’t have a great feel for it. It’s an unusual outing for him. You go into that inning with a three-run lead, you feel pretty confident you can get the ball to Miller.”
Starter Joey Estes, for his part, had a fine day on the mound, allowing two earned runs across 5 2/3 innings. His afternoon, though, ended on a bittersweet note.
After Estes walked Brandon Drury with two outs in the sixth inning, Kotsay hurriedly made his way to the mound. Kotsay had two relievers warming up, but didn’t look in the direction of the bullpen as he approached Estes. Kotsay briefly conversed with Estes on the mound, but never took the ball out of his starter’s hands. The rookie would get his chance to finish the frame, to end his afternoon on his own terms.
“Once he gave me that chance, I wanted it,” Estes said.
With two outs and a runner on first, Estes quickly got ahead in the count on Adell, 0-2. One pitch away from a quality start, Estes froze Adell with a sweeper on the inside part of the plate. Estes thought it was a strike. So did the A’s dugout. Home plate umpire Carlos Torres, who had the only opinion that mattered, did not. Ball one.
Joey Estes was one strike away from a quality start. Instead, strike three is called a ball. Jo Adell singled on the very next pitch.
Still, T.J. McFarland strands a pair of runners and Estes ends his outing with two earned runs across 5 2/3 innings. pic.twitter.com/xdekbFm9H9
— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) July 21, 2024
Estes, convinced he had rung up Adell, dropped into a squat of disbelief. Kotsay barked in Torres’ direction. On Estes’ very next pitch, Adell pulled a single into left field. Kotsay, once again, walked out to the mound, this time to change pitchers. As Estes strolled back to the third-base dugout, he shot a glance in Torres’ direction.
By inning’s end, the vibe would shift. Left-hander T.J. McFarland got pinch-hitter Keston Hiura to lazily pop out to first baseman Seth Brown in foul territory, stranding the runners and putting Estes in position to secure the win. Following the forgettable eighth inning, Estes would end up with a no-decision.
“He’s that type of competitor that got better during the game,” Kotsay said. “Overall, he gave us 5 2/3 (innings) of winning baseball.”
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