The Athletics are just one loss away from being eliminated from playoff contention, but they could be one heck of a spoiler down the stretch.
Now winners of five games in a row and an American League-best 29 games since July 24, the A’s (71-80) will look to secure a series win when they visit the Boston Red Sox (82-69) for the middle contest of a three-game set on Wednesday night.
“These games are really important (in Boston’s playoff chase), and the support they’re going to get for these three games, in some way, will represent that type of (playoff) atmosphere,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “For our young guys, this is a good challenge for them, to be able to go into a pretty electric environment.”
It took until the sixth inning for Tyler Soderstrom and Brett Harris to drive in the tying and winning runs on Tuesday, and Mitch Spence and Hogan Harris did the rest over five shutout relief innings as the A’s won 2-1. Jeffrey Springs was the starter, giving up one run (none earned) over four innings.
The result was the team’s third straight road-series-opening win and its second one-run victory over the Red Sox in a seven-day stretch.
Kotsay said he believes fans should get used to watching Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson facing the likes of Boston’s Roman Anthony (though currently injured) and pitchers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle.
“(The Red Sox) have a young, impressive team that’s going to be good for a while,” Kotsay said. “I think our club is very similar. … It should be fun watching these two teams build over the next few years.”
Athletics rookie Mason Barnett (1-1, 8.53 ERA) is set for his fourth career start and will face the Red Sox for the second time. He had not pitched in Triple-A before this season.
The 24-year-old was charged with three runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings last Wednesday in his team’s 5-4 win over the Red Sox. This outing came on the heels of striking out eight Los Angeles Angels in five innings to earn his first career win.
The Red Sox on Tuesday managed just one run on eight hits — including three from Trevor Story, who also became just the fourth 30-for-30 base stealer in MLB’s expansion era (since 1961). Boston was 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
A bases-loaded, no-out opportunity went to waste, while Nick Sogard was picked off first base as a potential tying run in the eighth inning.
“We just got to make sure we slow it down, (don’t get) caught up on the score and just do your part,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I think, at the end of the day, the job is to get on base. We’ve been doing a better job the last three games … but we have to cash in.”
The return of outfielder Wilyer Abreu (calf strain) from the injured list is needed, and while not expected on Wednesday, it does appear imminent.
“Wily hit (Monday). He was a little bit sore but not tight. I think it’s more about the workload on Sunday,” Cora said. “He walked in today and said he felt better. So we’ll see what’s on the table and see where we’re at.”
Boston’s Lucas Giolito (10-4, 3.31 ERA) will pitch Wednesday looking to shake off back-to-back losses for the first time this season. The right-hander took a tough-luck defeat Friday against the New York Yankees, allowing just two runs (one earned) and striking out six over the first 5 2/3 innings. The Red Sox lost 4-1.
“It wasn’t good enough. The other guy’s (Luis Gil) throwing zero after zero, I gotta match that for us to have a chance to win,” Giolito said.
Giolito is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three career starts against the Athletics but has not faced them since 2022.
–Field Level Media
