Jul 2, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) rounds the bases after hitting a house run towards the Los Angeles Angels throughout the fourth inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Necessary Credit score: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports activities The Oakland Athletics can seize an unbelievable season-series win over the Baltimore Orioles when the golf equipment go head-to-head for the sixth and remaining time Sunday afternoon in Oakland, Calif.
The A’s hit 5 residence runs — together with one in a novel McCann vs. McCann showdown — en path to a 19-8 romp on Saturday. That gave the crew with the second-worst document within the American League three victories in 5 matchups this season towards the crew with the second-best document.
When Kyle McCann, the Oakland backup catcher, homered off of James McCann, Baltimore’s backup catcher who was summoned to pitch the eighth inning, it gave the A’s 12 homers in 5 residence video games this week.
Oakland has gone 4-1 in these video games, the loss coming 3-2 within the sequence opener vs. Baltimore on Friday.
All-Star hopeful Brent Rooker has homered in three of these 5 video games to lift his team-leading season whole to 18. Shea Langeliers, Lawrence Butler and Max Schuemann have hit two homers apiece, whereas McCann, Miguel Andujar and Tyler Nevin have one every.
Trying to maintain A’s hitters within the park on Sunday can be right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (10-3, 3.45 ERA), who has allowed simply 10 homers in his 15 begins this season.
The 24-year-old bought the Orioles’ six-game Western swing off to a quick begin Tuesday with 6 1/3 shutout innings in a 2-0 win at Seattle. He has gained 5 of his previous six begins, together with highway efforts at Toronto, Tampa Bay and Houston.
Rodriguez didn’t face the A’s once they visited Baltimore in April, however he has pitched towards them as soon as earlier than — in his second main league begin in April 2023. He was tagged for 5 runs in 4 1/3 innings, however no residence runs, in a recreation the Orioles rallied to win 12-8.
The Orioles may have many issues on their thoughts Sunday, together with exacting some revenge, breaking even within the season sequence and finishing a successful journey. However a attainable distraction looms with Main League Baseball set to announce full All-Star Recreation rosters Sunday afternoon.
Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman already had been voted in as American League starters by the followers. A mixture of participant balloting and commissioner’s workplace picks will fill out the groups, with a number of Orioles — together with Ryan O’Hearn, Ryan Mountcastle, Anthony Santander, Jordan Westburg, Corbin Burnes, Craig Kimbrel and even Rodriguez — thought-about candidates to earn a visit to Arlington, Texas, for the July 16 recreation.
Among the many group, Mountcastle (twelfth residence run Saturday), Westburg (3-for-9 with two doubles) and Kimbrel (save in Friday’s win) have helped their instances probably the most within the sequence.
“Everyone could be very deserving,” Henderson mentioned. “Hopefully all of them make it.”
Orioles hitters will get one remaining likelihood to pad their stats as they take care of A’s rookie right-hander Mitch Spence (5-4, 4.15 ERA), who recorded his second main league win when he pitched three no-hit innings to finish a 3-2 triumph at Baltimore on April 26. It was the one time he has confronted the Orioles.
Like Rodriguez, the 26-year-old Spence is coming off a pointy efficiency on Tuesday, when he restricted the Los Angeles Angels to 1 run in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-5 win.
–Discipline Stage Media
