OAKLAND — The gravity of reality weighed more heavily with every passing day at the Oakland Coliseum this weekend. Each nine-inning venture took on a different emotional texture than the last, even if just slightly. Six games left turned into five, then four. Now, just three games, beginning on Tuesday, remain — and all the mourning that comes with them.
But the Yankees, the perpetual economic antithesis of the A’s, were not here to mourn. They were here to win. And, as they are wont to do, win they did, finishing off a three-game sweep of the green and gold on Sunday afternoon with a 7-4 victory in their final visit to the East Bay. And following Monday’s off day, all that will be left of baseball at 7000 S. Coliseum Way in one more series.
For Joey Estes, who surrendered three homers and five earned runs in four-plus innings, the rough start represents a bittersweet end to a venue that treated him well. In 12 career home starts, Estes owns a 3.68 ERA over 71 innings. On July 4, Estes threw a shutout, the first of his career, on 92 pitches. A month prior, he flirted with a perfect game. Following the lead of several teammates, Estes changed his walk-out song to “I’m So Oakland” by The Mekanix.
Through one inning, the A’s put themselves in position to at least take a game against the Yankees. Tyler Soderstrom opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a booming double off the right-center field wall, scoring JJ Bleday and Shea Langeliers to give the A’s a 2-0 lead — a lead that didn’t last a full frame.
In the top of the second, rookie slugger Jasson Domínguez followed Jazz Chisholm’s one-out walk by sending a middle-middle fastball into the right-field bleachers. Domínguez not only tied the game at two apiece, but thrilled the large — and loud — contingent of Yankees fans on the first-base side. Soon, the New York contingent had even more to cheer about.
After tying the game in the second, the Yankees took the lead in the third thanks to — who else — Aaron Judge. Estes left a payoff sinker over the heart of the plate, and Judge turned the mistake into his MLB-leading 55th home run of the season. As Judge crossed home plate, having given New York a 3-2 lead, he blew a kiss with both hands to his loyal court.
New York wasn’t done teeing off against Estes. Gleyber Torres led off the fifth inning with a solo homer of his own, one that was aesthetically similar to Judge’s towering blast that barely cleared the center-field fence.
After plunking Juan Soto and allowing a double to Judge, manager Mark Kotsay pulled the plug on Estes’ afternoon. Three batters later, Chisholm drove in Soto with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center field, and New York expanded its lead to 5-2.
The A’s were not without a response. In the bottom of the sixth, Ryan Noda entered as a pinch-hitter and drove in two runs with a double, slicing the A’s deficit to 5-4. The Yankees got one of those runs right back in the top of the seventh as Giancarlo Stanton drove in Judge with a double, bringing New York’s lead to 6-4.
Boyle recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas
Prior to Sunday’s game, the A’s recalled right-hander Joe Boyle from Triple-A Las Vegas. In a corresponding move, right-hander Brandon Bielak was designated for assignment.
Between injuries and underperformance, Boyle has bounced between the majors and minors several times this season. In 11 games, Boyle has a 7.12 ERA with 49 strikeouts over 43 innings.
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