A’s earn series split with 3-1 win

Alex Wood puts in his best start of the season thus far while a big third inning is all the offense needed

Alex Wood haters beware: he got in the win column for the first time all season tonight.

It certainly wasn’t the prettiest start of his career, but Wood did an excellent job with damage control all night while cashing in on three runs of support in the third inning. Those same three runs would be all the A’s needed as they defeated the New York Yankees, 3-1. With the win, they leave New York with a four-game series split.

After Wood miraculously got his way out of a bases loaded no out jam in the first thanks to a clutch strikeout and double play, the Yankees scored the games first run in the bottom of the second thanks to a Jose Trevino short-porch-aided solo home run.

The A’s first seven batters were retired in order to start Thursday, but their eighth hitter, Nick Allen, wouldn’t be denied. The shortstop launched his first home run of the year in the bottom of the third to knot the game at one.

The next batter, Darell Hernaiz, singled and two batters later, it was Tyler Nevins turn to leave the yard to the opposite field. His first blast of the season and in the A’s green and gold suddenly grew the lead to 3-1 through two and a half frames.

The Yankees loaded the bases again in the fourth with one out thanks to an Allen error to begin the frame, but the double play ball would get Wood out of the inning harmless again. These near disaster innings would depict Wood’s day perfectly on Thursday.

Wood let the lead-off man get on base in four of six chances, but New York had just the lone run to show for it. Two double plays and a pick-off killed their rallies significantly as the Yankees left six on base against Wood and 11 total.

Wood went 5.2 innings of one-run ball while striking out five and surrendering eight hits. In what could’ve been a start then sent him closer to the bullpen, Wood turned the tables. Time to start ripping on Ross Stripling some more instead.

While Wood clocked in his best start of the season so far, Nestor Cortes certainly wasn’t bad himself. He went seven innings while allowing just five hits. The hits he surrendered proved to be a lot more deadly, however, with the two home runs in the third.

Lucas Erceg continued his early-season dominance in the seventh striking out Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in relief.

The A’s offensively did basically nothing besides the third inning. They combined for just three hits in the eight remaining innings and haven’t scored over three runs since April 17. They’ve now scored 18 runs in seven games since then — good for 2.57 runs per game. Somehow they’re 2-5 in that period and not worse.

Mark Kotsay would let Mason Miller earn the four out save, and Miller wouldn’t let him down striking out three. A’s pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts Thursday while Judge and Stanton both had a pair.

The A’s are 70% of the way done with their long east coast road trip, and they’ll wrap it up this weekend in Maryland against the 16-8 Baltimore Orioles. The aforementioned Stripling will get the starting nod against newly acquired ace Corbin Burnes. First pitch is 4:05 PM PDT.