A's Offense Coming Alive in Colorado

After snapping their losing streak in the first game against the Colorado Rockies, the A's were out for the series win in game two. Despite some troubling signs early on in this one, the A's ended up winning fairly comfortably, 7-4, with Mason Miller earning his third save of the season. This is the A's first series win of the season.

The "troublesome" signs came in the second inning.

Catcher Shea Langeliers (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 3 BB) led off the frame with a walk, and Tyler Soderstrom singled, putting runners at first and second. Friday's hero, Jacob Wilson, came up to bat and grounded to third, where Ryan McMahon stepped on the bag, fired to second baseman Kyle Farmer, who went all the way around the horn to Michael Toglia at first to complete the triple play.

The Rockies hadn't turned a triple play since 2015, and given that the A's and Rox play three times a year (now), the odds of it happening to them were pretty slim. Alas, it did, and it seemed like an omen for the game itself.

Those feelings weren't helped when Farmer doubled with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, and JP Sears immediately surrendered a two-run shot to Sean Bouchard to put Colorado up 2-0. It was a two-run shot to Julio Rodíguez that doomed Sears in Seattle, and it looked like a trend may be forming.

After the first three batters in the bottom of the third reached for the Rockies, Sears was able to get Hunter Goodman to ground into a double play, but a run crossed the plate in the process, giving them a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the fourth, Lawrence Butler manufactured his own run, leading off the inning with a single, then advancing to second on a Brent Rooker groundout. Butler would take off for third, and the throw to the bag sailed into left field, allowing Butler to score, making it 3-1.

A pair of walks to JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers would see the A's threaten yet again, but Tyler Soderstrom would strike out, and Wilson would yet again ground to third. Luckily, there were already two outs in the frame, so it didn't result in a second triple play.

In the sixth, nearly the exact same scenario would play out, with Bleday and Langeliers drawing walks, but this time with nobody out. Soderstrom ripped a double down the first base line, scoring Bleday from second and leaving runners at second and third for Wilson, who would face reliever Jimmy Herget.

Wilson would get his revenge, doubling home the pair to give the A's the lead, 4-3. It was Wilson's second go-ahead hit in as many days. It's been quite a week for Wilson, who hit his first MLB home run against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, the first MLB home run at Sutter Health Park, and he's followed that up with huge hits in the first two games in Colorado.

In the seventh, former A's reliever Scott Alexander came on to pitch for the Rockies, and he promptly gave up a double to Butler. Yet, the lefty would catch the A's star leaning, and ended up technically picking him off, though a throw was never made.

Alexander ran towards third when Butler was halfway, getting him to retreat back to second. Butler juked in an attempt to reach third, but went out of the running lane as Alexander tagged him.

Immediately after this, Brent Rooker hit one out to center, padding the A's lead and making it a 5-3 game. Rooker's shot traveled an estimated 425 feet. In the dugout, Butler seemed to apologize to Rook after the home run, but the veteran patted him on the chest and seemingly reassured Butler.

JJ Bleday (0-for-2, 3 BB, 2 runs) would walk yet again, and Shea Langeliers smacked a 429 foot homer of his own to center, putting the A's up four.

Sears would get the first out in the seventh, but then gave up a single to Farmer and walked Bouchard on a questionable ball four call, which lead to manager Mark Kotsay going to the bullpen.

Justin Sterner came in and continued his perfect start to the season, getting Jordan Beck to fly out and Brenton Doyle to strike out, ending the threat.

Tyler Ferguson gave up his first earned run of the season on a Ryan McMahon solo shot in the eighth inning, which created a save opportunity in the ninth for Miller. Yet again, it was the slider that he used slightly more than the heater, and he struck out two to end the game.

With the win, the A's are now 4-5 on the year and sit in third place in the AL West, 1.5 back of the Los Angeles Angels, and three back of the Texas Rangers. All three clubs won on Saturday night, while the Houston Astros (3-5) and Seattle Mariners (3-6) each lost their games.

JP Sears got the win to even up his record at 1-1, after finishing with 6.1 innings of work, giving up six hits, three earned runs, walking two and striking out two. This is the best start to a season that Sears has had with the A's, dating back to 2023.

He holds a 3.46 ERA, and nearly all of the damage against him has been on two two-run homers. He looks to be in line for the opening game of the series with the New York Mets in Sacramento.

As for Sunday's finale, the A's are expected to throw Joey Estes out there as he hopes to rebound from his start on Monday against the Cubs where he struggled with his command and gave up six runs on nine hits and four walks across four innings of work. He'll be opposed by 23-year-old Chase Dollander, who will be making his MLB debut. Dollander is also the Rockies' No. 1 prospect.