New York Yankees Get Look at A's Future in Loss
The Oakland A's didn't record a hit against the New York Yankees until the fifth inning, but they walked away winners in the Bronx on Monday afternoon. Behind a sterling outing from one-time Yankee left-hander JP Sears, a huge two-run homer from Zack Gelof in the ninth, and flame-throwing Mason Miller, well, throwing flames to close it out, the A's were able to take game one of the four-game set.
Coming into this series, the Yankees have lost just one series all season long, which has helped them secure a 15-8 record, among the best in baseball. Outside of facing the Cleveland Guardians (1-6), the A's are now 8-8 against all other opponents following Monday's win. They're 9-14 overall.
Sears, acquired by the A's as part of the return for Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino, went six scoreless frames, gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out seven. Over his last three starts against the Rangers, Cardinals, and Yankees, Sears has gone 17 1/3 innings, given up one run, six hits, walked seven, and struck out 14. After a rough first outing that left him with a 12.27 ERA, he's now lowered that number to 3.38.
Just two days after we wrote about Gelof's struggles so far this season against sinkers, given his 0-for-10 run, the pitch that he knocked out in the ninth was, you guessed it, a sinker. He's 3-for-8 in the past two games, and in both he's been dropped to sixth in the batting order. A big game-winning home run in Yankee Stadium could do wonders for getting him, and the A's offense, on track.
Finally, there is A's closer Mason Miller. He came on to face the first three batters in New York's lineup--Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge--and struck all three out, touching 103 in the process. Six of Miller's 14 pitches were swinging strikes, including all three strike threes. Miller was utterly dominant in his outing, which included two of the best hitters in baseball right now (Volpe and Soto) as well as a ready-to-explode Judge.
When A's owner John Fisher was touting the A's move to Sacramento as their interim home earlier this month, the one player he could name that would be hitting home runs out of the "intimate" Sutter Health Park was Aaron Judge.
On Monday it was Gelof that provided the power, and Miller that made Judge look human.