Going for a three-game sweep tonight, the Athletics took on the AL Central leading Detroit Tigers at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Jose Morales, the 22-year-old righty made his fourth career start against Casey Mize for the Tigers.
The A’s jumped out in front in the bottom of the first after a base hit by Nick Kurtz and a walk by Shea Langeliers. Tyler Soderstrom singled, driving in Kurtz. At the end of one, the A’s led 1-0.
With one out in the second, Brett Harris beat out an infield single. Then Zack Gelof got a hold of a 90-mph slider and planted it over the left field fence for his first homer of the season. That gave the A’s a 3-0 lead.
Nick Kurtz dropped his second single of the night into center. Shea Langeliers followed that with a double to the wall in right. Kurtz had to stop at third. Rooker hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Kurtz. That brought Rooker’s RBI total to seventy-five for the year. At the end of two innings, the A’s led 4-0.
Morales cruised through the first four innings, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out five. Brett Harris led off the bottom of the fourth with a double down the third base line. Gelof then hit a squibbler to Mize who threw wildly to first, allowing Harris to score and Gelof to land safely at first. He was then erased trying to steal second. Kurtz walked, and that was it for Casey Mize. After walking Rooker, Rafael Monero was able to strike out Soderstrom to end the inning.
Luis Morales pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. He was replaced by Justin Sterner who shut the Tigers down in the eighth inning. Gelof added to his productive day at the plate with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth. That gave him four RBI’s on the night. That extended the A’s lead to 7-0 heading into the ninth.
Brady Basso entered the game to pitch the ninth. He walked Gleyber Torres to open the inning. But a double play ball and a slick play by Hernaiz at short shut down the Tigers and earned the A’s a sweep!