The Athletics came up just short in the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, falling 5-4 at Sutter Health Park in a game that had all the drama of a classic rubber match. After dropping the opener on Tuesday, Oakland evened things up with a 6-4 win last night, setting the stage for a decisive Sunday showdown.
Left-hander Jacob Lopez got the start for the A's, going head-to-head with Cardinals righty Michael McGreevy. The Athletics struck first, as leadoff man Nick Kurtz launched his seventh home run of the season to give Oakland an early 1-0 lead. Shea Langeliers followed with a single, and after a Tyler Soderstrom double play, Brent Rooker doubled to keep the pressure on. But hot-hitting Carlos Cortes couldn't cash in, striking out to end the inning.
The game settled into a pitcher's duel until the top of the fifth, when Victor Scott II crushed a solo homer to right field, knotting the score at 1-1. The Cardinals grabbed the lead the next inning when Jordan Walker deposited his 12th home run of the year deep into center field. Lopez's afternoon unraveled further when he fielded a slow bouncer cleanly but rushed the throw to first, leading to an errant toss. Wynn advanced to third on a second errant throw and scored on a base hit to right, making it 3-1 St. Louis. That was the end of Lopez's outing. Justin Sterner came on in relief and retired the side, followed by Mark Leiter Jr., who set the Cardinals down in order in the seventh.
The A's offense finally woke up against McGreevy in the seventh, chasing him from the game. Ryne Stanek took over, and with one out, Zack Gelof—who has been swinging a hot bat during his impressive resurgence—crushed his fifth homer of the year to cut the deficit to 3-2. JoJo Romero replaced Stanek but couldn't contain Oakland's rally. Thomas, Kurtz, and Langeliers strung together three straight singles, with Langeliers' hit driving in two runs to give the A's a 4-3 lead. Soderstrom grounded into a force out, but Kurtz moved to third. Rooker walked to load the bases, and manager Mark Kotsay turned to pinch hitter Michael Stefanic, who grounded out to end the inning. Still, Oakland carried a one-run lead into the eighth.
The A's looked to add insurance in the eighth when Henry Bolte led off with a single and promptly stole second. But the Cardinals' bullpen held firm, and the lead slipped away in the ninth when St. Louis rallied for two runs to take the game and the series. For the A's, it was a tough loss in a back-and-forth battle that showcased both their resilience and some costly mistakes on the mound.