Blackburn burnishes all-star credentials as A’s end dismal trip on positive note

Oakland A’s right-hander Paul Blackburn might not have been quite as efficient Thursday as he was in his previous start, which was arguably the best of his Major League career.

But Blackburn and the A’s liked the end result a whole lot more, as they ended an otherwise dismal road trip on a positive note.

Christian Bethancourt’s two-RBI single came as part of a three-run third inning, as the A’s ended a three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Chad Pinder also had an RBI single in the third and the A’s tacked on an unearned run in the sixth to help close the nine-game trip through Atlanta, Cleveland, and Boston with a 2-7 record.

On June 10 against the Guardians, Blackburn had the longest outing of his big league career, allowing four hits and striking out three in eight shutout innings.

The stellar start lowered Blackburn’s road ERA to 0.93, a mark that led the American League before Thursday’s games. But the A’s bullpen blew the game in the bottom of the ninth, allowing three runs in what became a 3-2 Cleveland win.

Thursday, Blackburn made some clutch pitches at critical moments to escape a handful of dicey moments.

Blackburn stranded two runners in each of the first two innings, getting Alex Verdugo to fly out in the first on a cutter, and Jarren Duran to strike out on a fastball.

In the fourth inning, Blackburn got J.D. Martinez to ground out on a first-pitch curveball, as he stranded eight Red Sox runners in the first four innings. The A’s stranded 11 runners through seven innings as they held a 4-1 lead.

In the eighth, though, the A’s allowed two unearned runs, courtesy of a throwing error from rookie infielder Jonah Bride.

With runners on first and third and two outs, reliever Sam Moll induced a Rafael Devers groundball to third base. But Bride airmailed the throw to first, allowing Rob Refsnyder to score. Then with runners on second and third and Dany Jimenez in the game, Martinez singled to center to cut the A’s lead to one run.

Jimenez got the final out to end the threat, then retired the side in order in the ninth.

MANFRED SPEAKS: Speaking after an MLB owners meeting in New York,  commissioner Rob Manfred said the A’s and Tampa Bay Rays need to reach new ballpark deals soon, leaving open the strong possibility of considering relocation if agreements are not struck.

Manfred credited Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, who he met with last week, for “moving the process forward.” On June 30, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is expected to vote on the A’s request to remove port designation from Howard Terminal’s 56 acres, the next step that’s needed to allow development on the parcel.

The A’s have continued to explore possible relocation to  Las Vegas should they not be allowed to build a ballpark at Howard Terminal.

“There is really significant activity in Oakland. The political process has moved along significantly,” Manfred said. “But as you all know, California political processes are their own sort of animal. There’s work to do on the Oakland side.

“I think the A’s prudently have continued to pursue the Las Vegas alternative. We like Las Vegas as a market. Again, it’s in the same category as Tampa. We need a solution in both those markets and the time has come for that solution.”

PISCOTTY UPDATE: Although outfielder Stephen Piscotty remains without a firm timetable for a return, he will be ramping up his running program this weekend.

Kotsay said before Thursday’s game that Piscotty, who’s been out with a calf strain since May 6, will be running the bases Friday and Sunday, and if that goes well, the A’s will be looking at “some form of games” for him.

Asked if a rehab assignment might be necessary, Kotsay said he’ll discuss that with Piscotty.

“He does have experience coming back from injury and time off,” Kotsay said, “so we’ll discuss that through the weekend.”