Soderstrom is hero for A’s at start and end of 11-inning win over Braves
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- Soderstrom delivered three hits, including a walk-off single in the 11th inning.
- A's bullpen allowed one hit over six innings, sealing first home series win since June.
- All-Stars Wilson and Rooker prepare for big stages; Wilson eyes return from wrist injury.
Almost three innings after a two-out Tyler Soderstrom home run put the A’s up 3-0 in the first inning Thursday against the Atlanta Braves at Sutter Health Park, a trend looked like it was emerging.
On Tuesday, the A’s jumped out to a five-run lead in the first and cruised to a 10-1 win, while the Braves (40-52) put up their own four-spot in the opening frame of Wednesday’s 9-2 win.
Neither game featured a lead change and the way A’s starter JP Sears was pitching early on Thursday, it didn’t look like Thursday’s series finale would either.
Sears, who hadn’t surrendered a run in his previous two starts that went a combined 11 2/3 innings, had sat down 11 consecutive Braves — including two strikeouts of 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. — as the A’s looked to win their first home series since a June 6-8 stretch against the Baltimore Orioles.
Quickly, that all changed as three straight extra base hits from the meat of the Braves order, including a two-run homer off the bat of Jurickson Profar, had the game tied at three in the top of the fourth.
The first lead change of the series took place in the seventh inning, when Ozzie Albies hit a solo home run off A’s reliever JT Ginn.
The next, an 11th-inning, lefty-lefty Soderstrom single off Aaron Bummer, one of the best left-handed relievers in the game, was also its final and sent the A’s (39-56) to the clubhouse with a 5-4 walk-off win and the series victory.
“Tyler’s at-bats were great tonight, from the first swing off (Braves starter Spencer) Strider to give us the lead,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Bummer is a tough at-bat … and he went up, sitting on that breaking ball, got it up, and drove it through the middle of the field.”
‘We’re an aggressive team’
Soderstrom contributed a game-high three hits, all of which came on the first pitch. The 23-year-old outfielder started off the season hot, with nine home runs and an on-base plus slugging percentage well above .800 in March and April, but had cooled down to a .779 OPS on the year heading into Thursday.
“I’ve been getting beat in the zone as of late, so I just want to be aggressive and attack the zone early,” Soderstrom said of his approach. “There’s been success (this season), but it has slowed down a little bit. I’m starting to heat back up again. It’s a long season, just gotta stay confident.”
Of the A’s other three extra base hits on the night, two — both doubles off the bat of designated hitter Brent Rooker — came on the first two pitches, while Nick Kurtz’s eighth-inning home run that forced extra innings came on the fifth pitch.
According to Kotsay, the action early in the count is no accident.
“We’re an aggressive team,” Kotsay said. “Our mentality as an offense, leads to the success that we’re having. Overall, I am an advocate of that approach.”
Bullpen holds strong late
While Sears, who went on to strike out Acuña for a third time, only got through five innings despite a strong beginning to the game, he said he is beginning to find his groove after a tough stretch through late May and early June where he surrendered 32 runs in 31 innings that pushed his ERA up to 4.76.
“I felt that I was in pretty good control of the game tonight, just made a couple pitches there that they hit pretty well there in that fourth inning,” Sears said. “The one hit I gave up to (Braves third baseman Austin) Riley there was really the only bad pitch I made in that inning.”
Five relief pitchers came into the game for the A’s after Sears’ departure and only surrendered one hit — the Albies home run in the seventh — and one walk through the next six frames.
Closer Mason Miller, who pitched the ninth inning, got his fastball up to 104 mph, according to MLB.com’s stats, which Kotsay called “electric.”
While others impressed on the bullpen’s strong day, Kotsay said the highlight was Justin Sterner, who threw both extra innings for the A’s and didn’t allow the Braves to plate either of the runners that automatically began on second base.
“In his two innings — extra innings with the runner on second — to handle those two innings without giving a run, it’s pretty remarkable,” Kotsay said.
Next up for the A’s is a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays (54-39) which will kick off 7:05 p.m. Friday at 7:05 p.m. After Sunday’s series finale is the All-Star break.
All-Stars: Wilson improving, Rooker preps for derby
A’s superstar Jacob Wilson, who became the first rookie shortstop to be a fan-elected starter at the All-Star game last week, is looking much better after sustaining a left wrist contusion during Tuesday’s series opener, Kotsay said.
Wilson was able to take dry swings before Thursday’s game and Kotsay said he was hopeful the shortstop would be available for the team’s weekend matchups with the Blue Jays and, in turn, the All-Star game.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Kotsay said. “We’re hopeful that tomorrow will be a big jump and a big improvement.”
Wilson, the odds-on favorite to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award, is second in MLB in hits with 111 and batting average with .335, while contributing nine home runs and 42 RBIs in 85 games.
Max Muncy filled in for Wilson at shortstop in the final two games of the series, going 1-for-8 with four strikeouts.
Rooker, also the backup DH for the AL All-Star team, began preparing for his first Home Run Derby before he was even announced as a competitor on Thursday.
The 31-year-old DH, who said watching the derby was a highlight of his summers growing up, took a three-minute round before Wednesday’s game and is planning to take a full practice round with his pitcher of choice on Saturday.
While he is preparing, Rooker said his swing won’t have to change much.
“Just about every swing I’ve ever taken in my life, I’ve been trying to hit a home run. It’s not like I have to change too much in that regard,” Rooker said. “It’s gonna be fun.”
Spence down to Triple-A after rough start
A day after surrendering eight runs in six innings against the Braves, A’s starter Mitch Spence was optioned down Thursday to the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.
Spence was pitching to a 4.70 ERA in 29 games, his last seven of which were starts after transitioning out of the bullpen in early June. Spence had given up at least four earned runs in three of his last four starts.
Kotsay said the plan is for Spence, 27, to start games in Triple-A to further develop as a starter, especially through emphasizing his sinker as a solid third option, before returning to the MLB.
“(The sinker) could be a weapon for him. It needs to be a weapon for him to be able to be a quality major-league starter,” Kotsay said.
