In the most A’s way possible, Oakland finally got their first win of the season. Against the Cleveland Guardians in the last game of the series, the game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. The bases were loaded, and INF Abraham Toro came to the plate. He was able to get to a full count against Cleveland’s Eli Morgan. Then, this happened.
???? IT OFF ‼️ pic.twitter.com/qKuM1aEEzg
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) March 31, 2024
With that walk, the A’s got their first win of 2024. Though the fan attendance was low (4,118), Oakland got the victory and that’s the only thing that mattered.
Statistics Of The Game
- Winning Pitcher: RP Dany Jimenez (1-0)
- Losing Pitcher: RP Scott Barlow (0-1)
- Paul Blackburn (OAK): 7 IP, 3 H, 3 K, 1 BB
- Esteury Ruiz (OAK): 2-4, 2 R, 1 SB
- Oakland won despite recording three errors
- The Athletics recorded nine hits. compared to seven by Cleveland.
- Despite the win, Oakland was outscored 29-11 in the four-game series.
For The First Time, Oakland Played Well
Last year All-Star representative, Paul Blackburn took the mound for the Athletics. He came out on fire, retiring the first 12 batters he faced and pitching a perfect game through four innings.
Pauly B ? pic.twitter.com/PNk5E2kTWK
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) March 31, 2024
With his pitch count at 88 pitches through seven innings, I expected Blackburn to come out for the eighth inning. That didn’t happen, and it would be a mistake (more on that later).
As for the offense, they got the scoring started in a hurry. LF Esteury Ruiz reached on a single to start the afternoon against Carlos Carrasco. Then, CF JJ Bleday drove in the team’s first run of the day.
JJ is speed ? pic.twitter.com/LEDdAdXhXA
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) March 31, 2024
DH Seth Brown would bring Bleday in on a single to make it 2-0 in the first inning.
Oakland would score again in the third inning when Bleday would single Ruiz in again to make it 3-0.
Back to Blackburn, he should have been out there for the eighth inning. But, manager Mark Kotsay would call on the bullpen to get the job done. Lucas Erceg was up first, and that was a mistake from the start.
He allowed two runs and then exited after 2/3 of an inning. Austin Adams was up next, but he couldn’t hold the lead.
Only thing on the mind of a Guard is eat.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/2YHQcQ9NGg
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) March 31, 2024
Luckily, the game would remain tied at 3-3. Both teams didn’t score in the eighth inning, and Dany Jimenez shut down the Guardians in the top of the ninth inning. Then, reliever Scott Barlow came in for Cleveland for the bottom of the ninth inning. 1B Ryan Noda walked on five pitches. C Shea Langeliers singled, and RF Lawrence Butler did the same.
So, it was up to pinch-hitter Abraham Toro to save the day. With nobody out, he was walked on four pitches and helped the A’s get their first win of the season.
Up Next
With the Athletics getting their first win of the year, they move on to the next opponent on the schedule. They welcome in the Boston Red Sox for a three-game series, who split their first series of 2024 with the Seattle Mariners.
Joe Boyle will take the mound for Oakland. He was 2-0 in his three starts for the team last year, with a 1.69 ERA.
As for the Red Sox, they will send Tanner Houck to the bump. He was 6-10 last year with a 5.01 ERA but impressed in the spring to earn his spot in the rotation this year.
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Featured Image: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
