OAKLAND – The A's have finally won two games in a row.
With a 5-1 victory over the Royals on a cold Tuesday night on the Coliseum, Oakland responded to its nine-game losing streak with two straight wins. This is the primary time the club has done so since winning six in a row from April 28 to May 4.
“It's obviously a huge relief after losing seven, eight games in a row – whatever that was,” said designated hitter Brent Rooker, who had two hits, two RBIs and a walk. “To win two games against a really good team, a team that's battling for the division and has been playing really well lately. I think that shows the resilience, the determination of this group, the willingness to look adversity straight in the eye and overcome it.”
Even though the A's (28-48) didn’t have an explosive offensive night, there was constant traffic on the bases due to seven walks and eight hits.
Kansas City's Cole Ragans (41-34) got off to a superb start (two earned runs in six innings), but Oakland hit 4 walks against the left-hander, probably the most he's allowed in a game this season. That's no small feat considering Ragans threw seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts in his last game against the A's a month ago. Last yr, Ragans threw six shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks against Oakland on Aug. 23, 2023.
“Ragans kind of figured us out,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “Good game plan from the offense today. Good at-bats. We scored enough against Cole to take him out of the game, but he's a tough opponent. … You can see why he's where he's at.”
Rooker added: “I think overall the approach was patient, they were professional at-bats. We stuck to a plan well. He's really, really good. He goes out there and a bad night for him is allowing two runs. But when you fight and get two runs against a guy like that, you give yourself a chance to win.”
The A's rewarded their patience with some pop.
Miguel Andujar continued his successful yr, impressing along with his bat and his arm. In addition to a few singles, an RBI and a run, certainly one of which scored a run, Andujar struck out Salvador Perez at second base as Perez tried to show a single right into a double. When asked if he was more pleased with the three hits or the outfield assist, Andujar smiled and said he was joyful the team won.
Andujar, who now has a .330 batting average, had probably the most hits on Wednesday, but Zack Gelof had the farthest. Gelof hit his second home run in as many days by hitting a 434-foot solo hit over the middle field wall within the eighth inning, narrowly missing the longest home run of his profession (436 feet). This is the second time in Gelof's profession that he has hit a house run in consecutive games, the last being on July 28-29, 2023.
That offense was good enough to present Luis Medina his first win of the season. The 25-year-old right-hander finished his night with one out lower than his first good start of the yr, allowing one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. The solid outing marked a rebound for Medina, who allowed 10 earned runs in his last two starts.
“I thought Medina did a good job,” Kotsay said. “Medina's finishing is going to be landing breaking balls and throwing breaking balls that start in the zone and get out of the zone. Right now, the breaking ball can be inconsistent. Once he's consistent, I think he can really increase his strikeouts and pitch long into the game.”
After Medina's departure, Oakland's relievers were in a position to protect the one-run lead they’d inherited. TJ McFarland got the last out within the sixth inning, then Dany Jiménez, Austin Adams and Mason Miller followed suit, each throwing a scoreless inning to secure the win.
If the A's can beat the Royals tomorrow, it could be their first sweep since winning three games against the Pirates in Oakland.
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