Jeff McNeil delivered the swing the Athletics needed. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer supplied the latest reminder that his start is becoming historic.
McNeil’s pinch-hit, two-run single broke a seventh-inning tie Monday night, and the A’s beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 at Chase Field. Kuroda-Grauer hit his first major league homer, Jeffrey Springs gave the A’s a strong start and the bullpen carried the rest.
The win moved the Athletics to 43-57 and gave them a needed response after another lost series at home.
Kuroda-Grauer makes history
Kuroda-Grauer’s first major league home run was only the latest step in a remarkable opening stretch.
He led off the second inning by driving Mitch Bratt’s pitch to left-center, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead. The homer was the first of Kuroda-Grauer’s career.
Then he singled in the fifth, sending Lawrence Butler to third and helping force Bratt from the game. Kuroda-Grauer finished 2-for-3 with a homer, an RBI and a walk.
Through 16 major league games, Kuroda-Grauer is batting .417 with a .435 on-base percentage, a .583 slugging percentage and a 1.018 OPS. He has 25 hits in 60 at-bats, including seven doubles and one homer.
His start already has a place in Athletics history. Kuroda-Grauer collected 23 hits through his first 15 major league games, tying Bill Burgo’s 1943 franchise record.
Daric Barton, Eddie Murphy and Jack Hayden each had 22 hits through their first 15 games. Kuroda-Grauer moved past that group and matched a mark that had stood alone for more than 80 years.
Kuroda-Grauer left Monday’s game before the bottom of the sixth inning.
Springs gives them a shot
Springs gave the A’s exactly what they needed after a rough stretch.
He worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He walked one, struck out two and kept Arizona scoreless through five.
Nolan Arenado doubled in the fifth for his 2,000th career hit, but Springs stranded him there.
However, the sixth opened with trouble. Jorge Barrosa doubled, and Ketel Marte followed with a two-run homer to left, tying the game at 2.
Geraldo Perdomo then reached on a bunt single, and Luis Medina entered from the bullpen. Medina shut the inning down and kept the game tied.
McNeil flips it
The A’s had missed chances earlier, but the seventh finally swung their way.
Shea Langeliers singled, and Butler followed with another single. After Donovan Walton popped out on a bunt and Jonah Heim struck out, Tommy White kept the inning alive.
White beat out a ground ball to pitcher Kevin Ginkel after the A’s challenged the initial out call. The reversal loaded the bases with two outs.
Then McNeil came off the bench and delivered. He lined a single to center, scoring Langeliers and Butler to put the A’s ahead 4-2.
Soon after, McNeil stole second. White scored on the same play when Ginkel threw a wild pitch, giving the Athletics a 5-2 lead.
Bullpen closes it
Medina earned the win by throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit, struck out two and kept the Diamondbacks from answering after Marte’s homer.
Then José Suarez handled a clean eighth. He retired Marte, Perdomo and Tim Tawa in order.
Hogan Harris made it interesting in the ninth after Gabriel Moreno singled and Tyler Locklear walked. Still, Harris struck out Ildemaro Vargas, Arenado and Ryan Waldschmidt to earn his seventh save.
Numbers that mattered
The Athletics finished with five runs on 15 hits. Arizona had two runs on eight hits.
White went 4-for-5 in his third major league game. Jacob Wilson went 2-for-5 and hit his sixth homer of the season in the fifth.
Also, Tyler Soderstrom had two hits, Butler had two hits and Langeliers singled, walked and scored the go-ahead run.
The A’s went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base. However, this time the missed chances did not bury them.
For Arizona, Marte drove in both runs with his sixth-inning homer. Arenado’s fifth-inning double gave him 2,000 career hits.
In the end, the A’s got what had been missing too often. They received a competitive start, clean relief and one late swing with the game on the line.
Up next
The Athletics continue the series against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday at Chase Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. PDT.
Jack Perkins gets the ball for the A’s. The right-hander enters at 2-5 with a 6.87 ERA and 72 strikeouts.
Across from him, Arizona turns to left-hander Drake, who enters at 0-0.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, 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.
