Butler’s home run robbery helps save A’s win over Mariners. ‘It’s game changing’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Butler's home run theft preserved A's lead and capped a strong defensive night.
- Springs pitched six solid innings before bullpen allowed three late Mariners runs.
- Andujar and Hernaiz delivered key plays in A’s series win.
It was three solo home runs that built the Athletics’ solid 4-1 lead over the Seattle Mariners heading into the late innings of Wednesday night’s contest at Sutter Health Park.
But with the departure of A’s starter Jeffrey Springs — who had dominated his six innings of work, fanning seven and at one point retiring 13 straight Mariners — the home team’s lead looked like it might unravel in the same way it was earned.
Even though a ground ball that took Miguel Andujar to the ground resulted in an out after a stellar play from the A’s third baseman, an earlier two-run homer off the bat of Jorge Polanco had the game in reach.
Luckily for reliever Justin Sterner, his defense wasn’t done picking him up.
A 382-foot shot off the bat of Mariners outfielder Dominic Cazone was tracking over the wall in right-center before Lawrence Butler nonchalantly reached his glove over the wall and took it right back, ending the inning.
“Butler’s taking over center field, very well. Unbelievable athlete. Miggy is doing his thing at third base,” Springs said of his teammates who saved his career-high 10th win of the season with their defensive heroics. “Those guys are super athletes and it’s fun to watch them do things like that.”
With normal center fielder Denzel Clarke — who earned the “Spider Man” nickname after a jawdropping home run robbery in June — on the injured list with a right adductor strain, Butler has had to step up.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay praised Butler’s growth in center and had a simple description of the catch’s impact: “It’s game changing.”
After the robbery, and thanks in part to a second Andujar homer capping off a career game for the 30-year-old — his first with multiple four-baggers — the A’s (48-63) held on for a 5-4 win to take the three-game series over their division-rival Seattle Mariners (57-52).
Springs wows amid trade rumors
Before beginning his impressive run where he retired 16 of 17 batters in his final 5 1/3 innings, Springs faced his typical foe: the long ball.
Springs has surrendered 21 home runs in 126 innings this season — tied for the sixth-most in the majors — including one to Mariners star Julio Rodriguez in the second at-bat of the game.
The starter had surrendered multiple runs and at least one homer in four of his last five contests, but following a two-out bloop single for Randy Arozarena in the first he didn’t surrender another hit on Wednesday.
“You tip your cap to those guys and move on to the next one and try to get it in rhythm as much as possible,” Springs said. “I felt like I did.”
While Springs was still looking good after his sixth inning of work, he told reporters postgame that Kotsay had made the decision not to send him out and there was no discussion ahead of turning to the bullpen, who surrendered three runs in three innings Wednesday.
As one of the A’s most consistent starters this season, pitching to a 4.13 ERA with 102 strikeouts, Springs’ name has been floated in the rumor mill as the MLB trade deadline looms — less than 24 hours after Wednesday’s game ended.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported last week that Springs, along with two other A’s starters Luis Severino and JP Sears, were potentially on the block.
Springs has been traded before, most recently to the A’s in December from the Tampa Bay Rays, but he said it was out of his control and that he was not focusing on it.
“All we can control is showing up and being prepared and trying to win the ball game,” Springs said. “Nobody’s really focused on it here.”
Andujar, Hernaiz step up with dingers
On top of Clarke’s injury, All-Star shortstop and rookie phenom Jacob Wilson is also out for the A’s after fracturing his left forearm on July 8.
The 23-year-old returned to the lineup after missing five games just in time for the All-Star Game, but struggled at the plate since his return. Wilson was originally diagnosed with a contusion, with the X-rays coming back negative but later tests showed a fracture leading to his placement on the 10-day IL on Tuesday.
“You’re gonna have to go talk to the training staff about that,” Kotsay said before Wednesday’s game when asked about the different diagnoses. “Doctors read MRIs differently … The second opinion came back with a different diagnosis.”
Darell Hernaiz, 23, has played shortstop for the A’s both days since Wilson landed on the IL and has gone 3-for-7 including a home run Wednesday. A stellar play at shortstop on Tuesday with two outs and the bases loaded also halted a Mariners rally en route to a 6-1 win.
“Darell was a player that we had here last year. The game was fast for him, the pitching was a little bit advanced for him, and he recognized that he spent the whole off season trying to prepare himself to make the roster,” Kotsay said. “When guys get this chance to come here, to leave an impression, to make an impact, these last two games, Darrell has done that at shortstop, defensively, and with the bat tonight.”
Andujar, who missed most of June and part of July with a strained right oblique, is another player that stepped up big in the three-game series with the Mariners.
The third baseman got five hits in the series, including two doubles and Wednesday’s two home runs, and has also continued to shine at his original position after playing mostly outfield since he was with the New York Yankees in 2018.
“Tonight was the best I’ve seen swing the bat. He’s obviously a professional hitter. He’s a guy that we’ve missed, when he was out of the lineup,” Kotsay said. “People (told) me I was crazy for putting him at third base and the progress he’s made, the plays he made tonight were game changing.”
Miller’s unavailability not injury related
To open his postgame press conference Wednesday, Kotsay addressed what he called an “elephant in the room”: Mason Miller’s status ahead of the trade deadline.
While Kotsay could confirm that Miller was unavailable out of the bullpen on Friday and that the reasoning was not related to an injury, he said he could not comment further on the reasoning.
Questions arose after reliever Jack Perkins came back out of the bullpen in the ninth inning after throwing the eighth in a save situation which Miller, as a closer, would often handle. Perkins would go on to surrender a ninth-inning home run that brought the game within one before completing the save.
After an off day Thursday, the A’s return to action at Sutter Health Park with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (51-58). First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
