MILWAUKEE — If solely the Oakland Athletics performed within the NL Central, they won’t be on tempo to have one of many worst seasons in fashionable historical past.
Seth Brown and Brent Rooker hit back-to-back homers within the fourth inning to assist the Athletics full their first sequence sweep of the season with an 8-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
Kevin Smith additionally homered because the A’s erased an early 2-0 deficit. Since falling 5-4 at Pittsburgh on Monday for his or her fifteenth straight highway loss, Oakland has gone 5-0 on the highway towards the NL Central’s high two groups – the Pirates and Brewers.
“I think the clubhouse is just becoming closer,” Brown mentioned. “Guys are really starting to get to know each other and just starting to kind of jell as a team a bit.”
This marks the primary time the A’s have gained 5 straight video games throughout the similar season since September 2021. This surge offers the Athletics (17-50) a better profitable share than the 1962 New York Mets, who went 40-120 for the worst season-ending document of any staff for the reason that begin of the twentieth century.
“It’s Major League Baseball, and from what I know about it, everybody is kind of an inch from the top and an inch from the bottom,” mentioned Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy, who took over managerial duties for the day as a result of Craig Counsell was attending his son’s highschool commencement. “They’ve been getting their teeth kicked in all year in an embarrassing way when you look at overall record, but these are major league players. I know some of the characters they’ve got over there, and they have some great character.”
PHOTOS: Athletics full their first sequence sweep with 8-6 victory over Brewers
Christian Yelich homered for the Brewers, who’ve misplaced 4 straight.
Milwaukee’s loss and Pittsburgh’s 2-1 victory over the New York Mets precipitated the Brewers to fall a recreation behind the Pirates within the NL Central.
Oakland trailed 2-0 earlier than earlier than scoring 4 runs within the fourth off Freddy Peralta (5-6). Brown capped an 11-pitch at-bat with a three-run homer over the right-field wall to place the A’s forward for good.
“That’s an at-bat that changes games,” Athletics supervisor Mark Kotsay mentioned. “He wore him down, wore Peralta down. You could see him getting closer and closer. It was the right approach. The balls he was fouling off were more middle away, and he got one more on the plate and was able to deposit it over the right-field fence.”
Rooker adopted that up by launching a 1-1 pitch into the left-field seats.
Milwaukee threatened to tie or pull again forward on a number of events.
The Brewers left the tying run on third within the sixth. They trailed 5-3 however had two on with two outs within the eighth when Rowdy Tellez hit a drive that Esteury Ruiz caught on the center-field warning observe.
Oakland scored three runs within the ninth to increase its result in 8-3, however the A’s bullpen struggled to shut the deal. Trevor May obtained pulled in favor of Sam Long after strolling Victor Caratini with the bases loaded and two outs.
Pinch-hitter Abraham Toro’s bloop single made it 8-6 and put the tying run on first earlier than Blake Perkins bounced to 3rd to finish the sweep. Long obtained his second save in as many alternatives.
“They’re big leaguers,” Brewers shortstop Willy Adames mentioned of the A’s. “They’re here for a reason. They executed this series and we didn’t.”
Oakland’s JP Sears (1-3) struck out 5 and allowed six hits and two runs in 5 innings. Peralta struck out 5 and gave up 4 runs, three hits and two walks in 5 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Drew Rucinski, who has been on the injured record with a abdomen virus, suffered a low-grade sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his proper knee throughout a bullpen session. He will probably be rehabbing for 2 to a few weeks earlier than getting on the mound.
Brewers: LHP Eric Lauer (shoulder) allowed seven runs – 5 earned – together with eight hits and two walks over two innings in a rehabilitation look with Triple-A Nashville. … LHP Wade Miley (lat) threw 5 shutout innings in a rehabilitation begin for Double-A Biloxi.
UP NEXT
Athletics: Return residence to start a four-game sequence with the Tampa Bay Rays. RHP James Kaprielian (1-6, 7.21 ERA) begins for the Athletics in Monday’s opener.
Brewers: Off Monday earlier than beginning a two-game sequence at Minnesota on Tuesday. Scheduled starters are Brewers RHP Corbin Burnes (5-4, 3.36) and Twins RHP Pablo López (3-3, 4.25).
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