A’s give AL-leading Baltimore Orioles all it could, but fall short in close game

OAKLAND — Despite giving the American League-leading Baltimore Orioles a fight, the A’s couldn’t muster enough offense, falling 3-2 at home on Friday night.

Oakland had just five hits as it struggled against starting pitcher Albert Suárez, who finished with six strikeouts and allowed two earned runs in six innings. 

Miguel Andujar and Shea Langeliers each had a home run. 

The Orioles snapped the A’s three-game win streak.

A’s starter Hogan Harris was solid after a shaky start, giving up two earned runs on five hits through five innings, but Oakland couldn’t provide much run support and committed three errors.

“You know the thing that costs us the game really was defensively,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “You know the thing that costs us the game really defensively, we’ve been playing really good defense and to see a three-error night cost us some extra bases. … So overall, a sloppy game. But to keep it competitive and to have a chance to win, have a chance to tie it in the eighth with the runner on third, really says a lot about what the job the bullpen did tonight.”

Baltimore’s All-Star starting shortstop Gunnar Henderson successfully stole third and came home on a throwing error from Shea Langeliers to score the first run of the game.

Oakland tied the game 1-1 in its half of the first inning when Miguel Andujar hit his third home run of the season, this time hitting a ball low in the zone that he ripped past the left field wall. 

The middle of Baltimore’s lineup found success in the second inning. 

Jordan Westburg hit a lead-off double and scored in the next at-bat when Austin Hays doubled on a line drive to left field. 

Later in the inning, the A’s found themselves in a bases-loaded jam with two outs. Harris walked All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman with the bases loaded, which scored Hays to give Baltimore a 3-1 lead.

Between the second and sixth innings, the A’s totaled just a single hit. JJ Bleday recorded Oakland’s lone hit on a sharp line drive to center field in the second inning. 

“To most of the righties, he was using that fastball-slider combination to the outer third,” Langeliers said about why the A’s struggled to hit against Suárez. “He did a really good job tunneling his pitches, mixing his pitches and he kept us off balance.”

But the A’s made it interesting late. 

Langeliers hit a solo homer — his 16th of the season — to center field to cut the Baltimore lead to a run in the seventh inning. Langelier’s homer also knocked Suárez out of the game after six innings and 86 pitches. 

In the eighth, Max Schuemann got the inning started with a lead-off single and stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no outs. He advanced to third when Bleday grounded out, but couldn’t cross home as relief pitcher Yennier Cano retired Andujar and Brent Rooker in back-to-back at-bats. 

The Orioles threatened to put more runs on the board to start the ninth, loading the bases with two outs and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle at the plate. But after conceding a 3-0 count, reliever Scott Alexander struck out the former first round pick, inciting cheers from the over 9,000 fans in Oakland Coliseum.

But with the game on the line, the A’s were no match for Craig Kimbrel as he retired three straight Oakland batters to end the ninth, sealing the win for Baltimore.

Despite the loss, Oakland has had some success against the the Orioles this season. In April, the A’s won two games in Baltimore and are now 2-2 against the top team in the American League.

“We went into Baltimore earlier in the season, took two out of three and then we played them tough tonight,” Langeliers said. “Just kind of shows you what we’re capable of.”

Oakland is scheduled to play Baltimore in Game 2 of a three-game series on Saturday at 1:07 p.m. Right-handed pitcher Luis Medina is the expected starter for that game.

The A’s dropped to 33-57 while Baltimore improved to 56-32. 

Injury updates

Pitchers Paul Blackburn and Ross Stripling could be nearing a return from their injuries. 

Both will be throwing bullpen sessions on Saturday before pitching in a rehab game for Single-A Stockton Ports on Tuesday, according to Kotsay. Stripling will start with Blackburn finishing Tuesday’s game. 

Blackburn was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot in May and has not played since. He’s totaled 36 strikeouts and has a 4.11 ERA through eight starts this season. 

Stripling has been out since May 25 with a right elbow strain. The righty has struggled this season, posting a 5.82 ERA with a 2-9 record.

Kotsay said the plan is to get both pitchers to play in one last rehab game for Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators before the All-Star break.

The plan is to get each pitcher anywhere from 30 to 35 pitches, according to Kotsay.