A’s waste Sean Manaea gem with career-high strikeouts in loss to Yankees with game-ending triple play

Sean Manaea entered his start Sunday having not allowed a single earned run in two starts at Yankee Stadium. Through five dominant innings, it looked like Manaea could keep the streak.

His sinker averaging two miles per hour faster than average, Manaea struck out a career-high 11 batters in 5 1/3 innings. His sinker generated 17 swings and misses; according to pitch analyst site Codify, that’s the most swings and misses on that pitch this season (the previous best was 13). But back-to-back walks in the sixth and a Gary Sanchez two-run double tarnished his slate in the Bronx and led to the A’s frustrating 2-1 loss to the Yankees on Father’s Day.

Though he’s no longer un-scored upon at Yankee Stadium, Manaea can tack this performance along with his pair of complete games as one of his best this season. Throwing only his sinker and changeup, Manaea allowed just two hits until the trouble inning hit.

Between walks to Clint Frazier and Aaron Judge, Manaea struck out DJ LeMahieu for his 11th strikeout. That’s not  only a career high for Manaea — he’s had 10 four times in his career, including this May against the Tampa Bay Rays — but are the most by an A’s pitcher in fewer than six innings since Kirk Saarloos struck out 11 in 2006. Tim Hudson is the only other A’s pitcher to do it, striking out 11 in 1999 in 5 1/3 innings, too.

Sergio Romo retired five straight in relief, including a big strikeout to Giancarlo Stanton with Sanchez on third to end the sixth inning.

Manaea’s blip and Sanchez’s big hit were magnified by the A’s offense’s inability to cushion an early one-run lead gained on Matt Olson’s solo home run, his 20th home run of the year, off Yankees left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery.

They threatened to add on in the sixth inning with Mark Canha’s walk and Olson’s single to beat the shift. Ramón Laureano beat out a double play to keep the inning going, but Jed Lowrie grounded out to end the threat.

They threatened again in the eighth inning with Matt Chapman’s one-out triple off the wall in center field. But Olson struck out swinging and Laureano flew out to the warning track.

With closer Aroldis Chapman allowing back-to-back walks, unable to find the strikezone, the Yankees bailed him out and turned a triple play on Sean Murphy’s ground ball to end the game.