The Athletics are 0-2 to open the Cactus League after a 6-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday at Hohokam Stadium.
Oakland had traffic, took its walks and got a few solid swings, but never landed the hit that changes an inning. The A’s finished with four hits, drew five walks and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine on base.
Severino sets the tone, then the inning breaks
Luis Severino gave Oakland two calm innings to start his spring, striking out three while allowing one hit. The game turned in the third after he exited.
Jakob Junis Kuhnel took over and Cleveland jumped him quickly. George Valera led off with a solo homer to right, and the Guardians kept pressing until the inning cracked open with two outs. A throwing error by first baseman Nick Kurtz brought home Kyle Manzardo, then Ralphy Velazquez rolled a two-run single to left to make it 4-0.
Oakland gets chances, cannot finish them
The A’s had enough baserunners to make it interesting, but the middle swings never showed up. Henry Bolte doubled for Oakland’s only extra-base hit. Tommy White went 2 for 2 off the bench, and Jeff McNeil reached twice and singled.
Still, the A’s could not string a rally together, and Cleveland’s staff worked around trouble early before settling in. Starter Matt “Tugboat” Messick threw two no-hit innings, and the Guardians used eight pitchers to finish the shutout.
Guardians tack on late
Cleveland added a run in the sixth and two more late to stretch the game, including a ninth-inning triple by Kahlil Watson. The Guardians finished with 12 hits and Oakland committed two errors.
Up next
The A’s continue spring play Tuesday against Cleveland at 12:05 p.m. PT. The broadcast is available on A’s Cast and Talk 650 KSTE.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
