On Friday night, the Athletics triumphed over the Orioles 3-2 in extra innings, boosting their season record to 11-16 and surpassing the Angels to secure third place in the AL West. They now hold a 6-5 record in one-run games this season.
Ross Stripling delivered a standout performance, pitching 5.2 innings and conceding only 2 runs on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts and no walks. This effort lowered his season ERA to 4.98.
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Stripling faced a pivotal moment in the third inning when the Orioles had men on first and third after a Ryan O’Hearn single leveled the score at 1-1. However, Stripling managed to retire Anthony Santander with a sharply hit line drive to right field, ending the inning without further damage.
Although Stripling gave up a solo home run to Cedric Mullins in the 4th inning, he navigated through the rest of his outing unharmed. He was replaced in the 6th inning with a man on second base, but TJ McFarland entered the game and induced Mullins to ground out, preventing the Orioles from scoring.
Brent Rooker delivered crucial hits late in the game, doubling in the 9th inning and being brought home by Abraham Toro two batters later to tie the game at 2-2. Rooker struck again in the 10th inning with another double, this time securing the game-winning RBI.
Shea Langeliers also contributed with his 6th home run of the season, tying him for 5th place overall and placing him at the top among all catchers.
The Athletics’ bullpen once again proved reliable, as McFarland, Mitch Spence, and Mason Miller combined for 4.1 scoreless innings to shut down the Orioles’ offense. Spence pitched 3 innings without conceding a hit and striking out 2 batters.
Miller entered the game and secured his 7th save of the season, showcasing a fastball consistently over 100 mph and appearing virtually unhittable.
The Athletics will return to action on Saturday at 1:05pm PDT, with left-handed pitcher JP Sears taking the mound against Cole Irvin, also a left-handed pitcher.