Athletics shut out Pirates 4-0 in Oakland

3-game sweep is complete

The Oakland Athletics wrapped up a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum. The teams started the day with identical records; 14-17. Manager Mark Kotsay sent winless 34-year-old righty Ross Stripling to the mound for this matchup against Quinn Priester for the Bucs.

Switch-hitting Abraham Toro got the scoring started with a line-drive homer to straight away center field in the bottom of the second inning.

Tyler Nevin extended his hit streak to nine games with a towering homer to left field extending the A’s lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third.

Oneal Cruz started the inning with a base hit. After a fielder’s choice and an error on a pickoff attempt, Cruz stood at third with one out. Rowdy Tellez hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Darell Hernaiz, who made a leaping catch and threw a bullet home to nab Cruz.

The A’s added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth, when Tyler Nevin singled, and Bleday and Langeliers each walked to load the bases. Abraham Toro hit a routine grounder to Oneal Cruz who handled it nonchalantly and then threw wide of the bag, allowing Nevin to score. At the end of five, the A’s lead 3-0.

Lefty TJ McFarland replaced Ross Stripling in the seventh. Stripling threw six scoreless with three hits, two strikeouts and no walks.

McFarland got the first two outs before handing the ball over to Austin Adams. He walked his first two batters faced, loading the bases, before striking our Brian Reynolds to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman, once the most feared reliever in baseball entered the game to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Chapman struck out two of the three batters he faced along the way to a scoreless frame.

Dany Jiménez took over for Austin Adams in the eighth. Conner Joe and Andrew McCutcheon both walked. Kotsay replaced Adams with Michael Kelly, who shut down the Pirates to end the threat. Pirates closer David Bednar came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Abraham Toro drew a walk. Esteury Ruiz pinch ran for him and easily stole second. Kyle McCann drove him in with a single to make the score 4-0.

Sophomore flamethrower Mason Miller came in to slam the door in the ninth, despite it not being a save situation. Ten pitches later, congratulations were in order as the A’s swept the Pirates with a 4-0, four-hit shutout.