The unofficial first half of the Main League season was a nightmare at instances for the A’s, and Stephen Vogt was among the many cadre of Oakland gamers whose particular person performances weren’t as much as snuff.
However at the very least Vogt and the A’s can say it ended on a constructive notice.
Vogt’s RBI single within the eighth inning proved to be the game-winning hit because the A’s got here again to beat the American League West-leading Houston Astros 4-3 on Sunday to win their first collection at Minute Maid Park in over a yr.
Vogt’s single down the proper area line off Astros reliever Rafael Montero scored Chad Pinder from second base to place the A’s up by one. Vogt additionally added a game-tying RBI sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter as a part of a three-run sixth inning, as Oakland closed the six-game highway journey with a 3-3 file.
“Completely happy for Vogt,” A’s supervisor Mark Kotsay stated. “Anytime you’ve bought a veteran participant on the bench and an opportunity to make use of him in a task to have success, it feels nice.”
Vogt entered Sunday with a .137 common in 73 at-bats, a 58-point drop from final season when he had 210 mixed at-bats with Arizona and Atlanta. His OPS of .511 is near 300 factors lower than it was three years in the past in his one season with the Giants.
“Clearly I’m not glad with the best way I’ve been swinging the bat,” stated Vogt, including that he’s been working diligently with hitting coaches Tommy Everidge and Chris Cron, “and simply getting again to being me. A greater method.
“It simply feels good to return by way of in your teammates.”
The A’s hadn’t received a collection over the Astros in Houston since April 8-10, 2021, after they received two of three. Oakland had a 2-6 file towards the Astros this season, with the primary two three-game collection on the Coliseum.
Ramón Laureano hit his ninth residence run of the season, Chad Pinder had an RBI double and the A’s bullpen threw 4⅔ scoreless innings within the victory. Though the A’s head into the All-Star break with an American League-worst file of 32-61, they've been taking part in higher this month, and now have a 7-8 file in July.
The A’s subsequent have a doubleheader towards the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, then proceed the homestand with three video games towards Texas, beginning Friday, adopted by three extra towards the Astros.
Adam Oller, who was born in close by Conroe, Texas, had a stable outing till the fifth. With one out, after an infield single by José Altuve, Jeremy Peña swatted a two-run homer to left-center to offer the Astros a 3-0 lead.
Oller was formally recalled Sunday morning after the A’s optioned left-hander Jared Koenig to Triple-A Las Vegas, and the sport marked his first begin since Could 14 when he pitched the second sport of an A’s double-dip towards the Los Angeles Angels.
Sunday’s sport was initially James Kaprielian’s flip within the rotation, however Kotsay wished to offer Kaprielian a number of additional days relaxation earlier than he makes his subsequent begin.
Oller made 5 reduction appearances for the A’s in June, permitting eight hits and 7 walks in 8⅓ innings earlier than he was optioned again to Las Vegas on June 30. The A’s wished him to work on his fastball command, and in 8⅔ innings over two begins with Las Vegas, he allowed simply two walks.
Oller allowed a first-inning solo residence run by Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker on a four-seam fastball however bought by way of the following three innings earlier than he bumped into hassle within the fifth.
MONTAS UPDATE: Proper-hander Frankie Montas felt good after his bullpen session Saturday and has “a chance” to begin one of many doubleheader video games Thursday, Kotsay stated.
Montas hasn’t pitched in two weeks as he’s handled irritation in his proper shoulder. He exited a July 3 begin towards the Seattle Mariners after only one inning and two days later, an MRI revealed the irritation. Montas had a cortisone shot on July 6, and since that time, he and the A’s have been cautious about when he would make his subsequent begin.
Previous to his July 3 begin, Montas was 3-8 with a 3.20 ERA and was among the many American League leaders in video games began (16), innings pitched (95.2), strikeouts (99), and opponents’ on-base proportion (.272).
BRIDE UPDATE: Kotsay stated infielder Jonah Bride, on the injured record since June 27 with a strained proper shoulder, will work out in Oakland on Thursday earlier than the A’s determine whether or not to ship him again to Triple-A Las Vegas or activate him off the IL.
JIMENEZ UPDATE: Kotsay stated reliever Dany Jiménez, on the IL since June 19 with a strained proper shoulder, will throw a bullpen session on the A’s spring coaching facility in Arizona on Wednesday, and can start a rehab project when he’s bodily prepared.