BALTIMORE (AP) — Brent Rooker doubled in the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning to cap a late comeback that carried the Oakland Athletics past the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Friday night.
After Oakland rallied from a 2-1 deficit to pull even in the ninth against Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel, Rooker put the A’s in front with a two-out liner into the left-field corner off Jacob Webb (0-1).
With a song by the rock band AC/DC blaring in the clubhouse, the Athletics celebrated an improbable victory against one of the AL’s best teams.
“This is as much energy as we’ve had. You can kind of feel it in there,” starter Ross Stripling said. “A comeback win against a really good team, the boys are enjoying it.”
After taking two of four from the Yankees, Oakland got off to a good start against another strong AL East club.
“We’re holding our own. We’re starting to get some momentum and confidence,” Stripling said. “It’s been fun.”
Stripling allowed two runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings and left with Oakland trailing, but the right-hander avoided falling to 0-6 when the A’s mounted their ninth-inning rally.
Mitch Spence (2-1) pitched three hitless innings and Mason Miller got three outs for his seventh save. After Miller stuck out Gunnar Henderson on a 101.8 mph fastball with a runner on third to end it, the righty punched the air in delight.
“We took advantage of Kimbrel giving us an opening there and then pulled out a big win here in Baltimore that most people did not see coming,” Stripling said.
Shea Langeliers homered in the first and scored in the 10th for the A’s, now 2-15 when trailing after eight innings.
In the Oakland ninth, Abraham Toro doubled home the tying run before JJ Bleday was tagged out by Kimbrel trying to score on a wild pitch.
After Kimbrel issued his second and third walks of the inning to load the bases with one out, Keegan Akin worked out of the jam. It was the second blown save in nine opportunities this season for Kimbrel, who in his previous appearance matched John Franco for sixth all-time with his 424th save.
“Three walks in an inning,” Kimbrel said. “That means your command is off.”
Baltimore starter Corbin Burnes gave up one run and three hits in six innings, with Langeliers’ homer the one glaring flaw. Burnes, a three-time All-Star obtained in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, struck out six and walked three.
Ryan O’Hearn made it 1-1 with a two-out single in the third inning, and Cedric Mullins put the Orioles up 2-1 in the fourth with a drive that sailed far beyond the right-field scoreboard.
HOLLIDAY OUT
The Orioles optioned top prospect Jackson Holliday to Triple-A Norfolk after the 20-year-old second baseman struggled mightily since joining the Orioles on April 10. Holliday was batting .059 with 18 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. “It’s not easy, just not easy here,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We want to take some weight off his shoulders and (let him) just go play.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: Luis Medina (knee sprain) and Ken Waldichuk (elbow) threw bullpen sessions before the game, the second for each lefty.
Orioles: LHP John Means (forearm strain) is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Norfolk. This will be his sixth start for the Tides during this rehab stint. Thus far, he’s 0-2 with a 13.89 ERA.
UP NEXT
JP Sears (1-1, 3.38 ERA) starts Saturday for Oakland in the second game of the series. The lefty is 1-0 with an 0.52 ERA in his last three outings. Baltimore will start LH Cole Irvin (1-1, 4.64), who’s coming off a solid performance in Kansas City (6 2/3 scoreless innings) that provided him his first win since June 10, 2023.
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