*Photo from Sportsnaut*
Needing a win to keep up in the wild card chase, the Oakland Athletics turned to a guy who wasn't even on their roster a month ago. It still worked. Chad Pinder drove in two runs, Paul Blackburn got his first win since 2018, and the Athletics defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-2 on Thursday afternoon.
The win pushes the A's to 3 games back of a wild card spot in the AL playoff push, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, who control those spots currently, and the New York Yankees, who are just a half game back of a wild card spot entering play on Friday. With both the Red Sox and Blue Jays idle Thursday, it was a necessary win for the A's, gaining valuable ground.
Blackburn said of his first win since 2018 that "I've always kind of thought that I'd be back here to help these guys no matter what time it is. Yeah, it is my first win since 2018, but this late in the season, where we are right now, it's just a huge win for us in general. I'm just trying to help this team win in any way possible."
The Royals jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, when Salvador Perez hit a two run home run, giving them the early lead. It was all Oakland from that point on. In the 3rd, Josh Harrison hit an RBI single, Tony Kemp scored on an error, and Pinder hit a two run single into left field, giving Oakland a 4-2 lead at the end of the 3rd. In the 9th inning, Elvis Andrus scored on a wild pitch, Harrison hit an RBI double, and then came around to score on a fielders choice, making it 7-2 Oakland.
Blackburn got the win for the A's, improving to 1-2 after getting his first win since 2018. Blackburn allowed two runs on 6 hits and two walks, striking out 3 hitters in 5 innings pitched. After he departed, a bullpen combination of Deolis Guerra, Andrew Chafin, and Sergio Romo combined to punch out 4 hitters in 4 shutout innings of relief.
A's manager Bob Melvin said of the bullpen that "If you look at our numbers, what, the first two-thirds of the season out of the bullpen, we're about as good as any bullpen in baseball. We don't have the hardest throwers, we have guys that pitch to contact and do it a little bit differently, but we've just gone through a tough stretch. But based on what they accomplished in the first two-thirds of the season, we still have a lot of confidence. Hopefully this is a springboard for us."
Daniel Lynch got the loss for the Royals, as he was lifted in the 3rd inning while not recording an out. He fell to 4-5 after lasting two innings, allowing 3 runs on two hits and one walk. Joel Payamps came on and pitched two innings of one run ball after Lynch left. Gabe Speier, Domingo Tapia, Josh Staumont, Jake Brentz, and Tyler Zuber also pitched.
Despite the loss, it was still a good day for the Royals. Perez's homer in the first inning marked his 45th homer this season. That homer tied Johnny Bench for the most homers by a catcher in a single season, when that catcher has caught at least 75 percent of a team's games that season. The next homer Perez hits this season will give him a season record, passing a hall of famer.
Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Perez that "We’re witnessing a special player and a special season. As much as the 45 is impressive, when you’re ever thrown in the conversation with who most would probably say is the greatest in the history of that position, to be able to be put in that conversation with some of the things you’re achieving is exceptionally rare."
The A's travel to Anaheim to face the Angels on Friday, where Cole Irvin will get the start in the series opener. The Royals face the Mariners on Friday, with Brady Singer taking the mound.
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