The Athletics kicked off their six-game Las Vegas homestand with the first of three against the Milwaukee Brewers on a sweltering summer night. The ballpark lived up to expectations as both offenses put on a show. The Brewers defeated the Athletics 15-14 in 12 innings in a game that featured 34 hits, 11 home runs and 29 runs. The Athletics bullpen lost a four-run lead, and the hosts twice failed to capitalize on walk-off chances in extra innings.
Brewers Strike First
A’s starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs got off to a rough start. With two runners on and two outs in the first inning, Brewers’ right fielder Jake Bauers chopped an RBI single to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. Springs retired the next batter to limit the damage to one run, though he threw 31 pitches in the inning.
Shea Bangeliers!
The Athletics answered immediately. Catcher Shea Langeliers led off the inning by crushing the first pitch he saw from Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison for his 17th home run of the season. The 483-foot rocket to left field tied the game at 1 after the first inning of play.
Athletics’ shortstop Alika Williams and first baseman Nick Kurtz combined on a nice defensive play to get the first out of the second inning. Boosted by the play, Springs completed a scoreless second inning of work to keep the game tied.
A’s Take the Lead
In the bottom of the second, A’s second baseman Zack Gelof hit a two-out double, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 13 consecutive games. Williams followed with his first double of the season, scoring Gelof to give the Athletics their first lead.
Back and forth we go
Milwaukee regained the lead in the top of the third. After a leadoff single, second baseman Brice Turang hit his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot over the wall in right-center field.
Gelof made a stellar diving catch for the second out of the inning. Springs then allowed a second home run of the frame, a solo shot to center by Brewers’ first baseman Andrew Vaughn, his second of the season, giving Milwaukee a two-run lead. Springs now has allowed 16 home runs, the third most in the majors.
A’s Storm Back
Down two, the A’s sought to comeback again. Kurtz and right fielder Colby Thomas led off the bottom of the third with two straight singles. Harrison then walked A’s designated hitter Brent Rooker to load the bases with zero outs. Max Muncy, in his second at-bat in his first game off the injured list, tied the game with a two-run single single up the middle.
The A’s were not done scoring runs against Harrison. Left fielder Tyler Soderstrom hit his ninth home run of the season, a three-run 434 blast past the pool in right-center field to put the hosts up three. That was the first home run Harrison had surrendered to a left-hander this season.
With one out, Gelof knocked Harrison out of the game. He hit his seventh home run of the season, a solo blast to left field to put the A’s up 8-4. The Brewers replaced Harrison with right-handed reliever Grant Anderson, who got the final two outs of the third inning.
Brewers Inch Closer
In the top of the fourth, Springs worked a scoreless inning after a leadoff walk, keeping the A’s momentum going. The Brewers scored their fifth run in the fifth courtesy of Vaughn’s two-out RBI double. The A’s left-hander completed five innings with his team leading by three runs. He allowed five runs on eight hits, including two home runs, over five innings of work.
A’s Add Another Run
Former Athletics’ reliever Joel Kuhnel entered in the bottom of the sixth for his first appearance out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. With two outs, Kurtz hit his 13th home run of the season, an opposite-field solo shot to left field. So far, the A’s have taken full advantage of the hitter-friendly ballpark, hitting four home runs through six innings.
Bullpen Time
The Athletics looked to get two scoreless innings from reliever Luis Medina, but he allowed a two-run, two-out home run to Bauers, cutting the hosts’ lead in half. Right-hander Justin Sterner replaced Medina on the mound and allowed a single before recording the final out of the seventh inning.
Soderstrom En Fuego
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Milwaukee brought in left-hander Drew Rom to face Soderstrom. The Athletics’ left fielder responded with his second home run of the night and 10th of the season, extending his team’s lead to three. Soderstrom recorded his sixth multi-homer game of his career.
Potential Game-saving Play
Mark Leiter Jr. entered to pitch the eighth inning for the Athletics. He allowed a walk and a single before uncorking a wild pitch that brought home Milwaukee’s eighth run. With runners on the corners and one out, left-hander Hogan Harris replaced Leiter Jr. Harris got Brice Turang to hit into an inning-ending double play that was nicely turned by A’s infielders Williams and Gelof.
A’s Bullpen Blows Another Save
Harris remained in the game to start the ninth but was charged with a blown save. Milwaukee opened the inning with a single and a walk before Andrew Vaughn lined a two-run double to left field, tying the game at 10. Harris responded by striking out the side, keeping the game tied going into the bottom of the ninth. The A’s failed to score that inning against Brewers left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby, sending this game to extra innings.
Extra Innings: This Game is Absurd!
Scott Barlow pitched the tenth for the A’s. The Brewers took their first lead in several innings when the ghost runner scored on Chourio’s sacrifice fly. They added insurance on catcher William Contreras’s three-run home run to center.
Ashby returned to pitch the 10th for Milwaukee. With two outs, Langeliers singled to score Henry Bolte, the automatic runner, from second base. Kurtz then smacked his second home run of the night, 14th of the season to right field. The A’s sixth home run tonight trimmed their deficit to one.
Jonah Heim’s game-tying home run was the Athletics’ seventh homer of the game. Pinch-hitting for Lawrence Butler, Heim hit a fly ball to right field that just cleared the fence, tying the game at 14.
In the top of the 11th, Athletics’ left-handed reliever Jose Suarez stranded the automatic runner, striking out the side. Brewers’ right-handed reliever Abner Uribe pushed the game to the 12th as the Athletics stranded two runners on base.
The Brewers scored their 15th run in the 12th on Brice Turang’s RBI fielder’s choice off Suarez. Williams led off the A’s half of the 12th with a sacrifice bunt, advancing the automatic-runner Gelof to third base. Chad Patrick got the final two outs with the tying run 90 feet away, sealing Milwaukee’s victory after more than four hours of intense back-and-forth action. Jeff McNeil, who made the wild throw home on Turang’s RBI fielder’s choice, also made the final out of the game.
The teams will meet again tomorrow night. Athletics’ right-hander J.T. Ginn will look to continue his strong run of form at a familiar ballpark. He will be opposed by Brewers’ left-hander Robert Gasser, who is 0-2 with a 4.73 ERA through his first three starts this season.
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