The A’s, playing in front of the smallest home crowd in nearly 44 years, continued their ignominious path to unwanted Major League Baseball history with a 5-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday night.
Just 2,064 fans were at the Coliseum as Oakland remained on pace to finish with the third-worst regular season since MLB began in 1876. The announced crowd was the A’s smallest for a home game fans were allowed to attend since drawing 1,037 against Texas on Sept. 19, 1979.
A source told Bay Area News Group there were just around 1,400 actual fans in attendance Monday as Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo hit a two-run homer in the second inning and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added a two-run shot in the third to back Merrill Kelly’s pitching.
A’s starter Drew Rucinski had his fourth consecutive poor start to begin the season and fell to 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in 18 innings.
Oakland lost its third straight game and seventh in its last eight as its MLB-worst record dropped to 9-34. The A’s are now on pace to go 34-128 – there’s only been one team to finish with more than 120 defeats in a season, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134), the worst team in history. Only the abysmal Spiders and the 1890 Pittsburgh Alleghenys (23-113) had a worse winning percentage over a full season than Oakland’s .209 winning percentage.
A costly mental error on the bases during an eighth-inning rally epitomized how things are going for the A’s. After Jace Peterson’s leadoff home run pulled the A’s within 5-2, the A’s got the tying run at the plate with no outs following a Jordan Diaz walk and a Nick Allen single. Esteury Ruiz, the A’s hottest hitter lately, then popped out to shortstop in what turned out to be a double play as Diaz inexplicably was running on the play.
Brent Rooker’s fly ball to right with the bases loaded ended the A’s eighth-inning threat.
Former A’s reliever Andrew Chafin pitched the ninth inning for his sixth save after Kelly (4-3) struck out nine in seven-plus innings of work.
Arizona (24-18) moved six games over .500 for the first time since finishing the 2019 season at 85-77.
The A’s bullpen in relief of Rucinski was a bright spot as Sam Long, Richard Lovelady and Adrian Martinez combined for 5 1/3 innings of four-hit, scoreless relief.
LOVULLO REFLECTS
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo became somewhat nostalgic being back at the Coliseum, remembering fondly his chance to get back to the majors with Oakland under manager Art Howe in 1996.
“Every time I come back here it’s kind of a soft spot for me, I like playing in this stadium, there was tremendous fan support,” Lovullo said. “And Art Howe was a good man and gave me an opportunity to get back to the big leagues, I’ll never forget that. I had a great time here. I had almost a full year here. I’ll never forget that. The thing I’ll remember most is that big thing was being built in center field, Mt. Davis was being built and we had to start the season in Las Vegas.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: OF Seth Brown, recovering from a strained left oblique that has sidelined him since April 9, will head back out on a rehab assignment — this time to Class-A Stockton to play designated hitter on Thursday and in the outfield Friday. He had played one game at Las Vegas but felt some discomfort on a swing and returned to the Bay Area over the weekend to be examined and go through workouts the past two days. … RHP Paul Blackburn (torn right middle fingernail) threw 41 pitches at Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday and manager Mark Kotsay received positive reports. Blackburn will pitch again for Las Vegas later in the week.
UP NEXT
LHP Tommy Henry (1-1, 4.43 ERA) pitches Tuesday night for the Diamondbacks in his first career start against any AL West opponent, and the A’s counter with fellow lefty Kyle Muller (1-3, 7.34).
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Andrew Chafin #57 and catcher Gabriel Moreno #14 celebrate their 5-2 MLB win at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics second baseman Jordan Diaz #13 completes a double play to first base as Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll #7 is forced out in the sixth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics’ Adrian Martinez #55 throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics second baseman Jordan Diaz #13 completes a double play to first base as Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll #7 is forced out in the sixth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano #22 reacts after striking out swinging against Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte #4 loses his bat as he takes a strike from Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Sam Long #66 in the fifth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. Marte ended up striking out. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics shortstop Nick Allen #2 gets the forces out Arizona Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno #14 at second base but can’t complete the double play in the fifth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly #29 throws against the Oakland Athletics in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics manager Mark Kotsay holds a baseball in the dugout in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll #7 hits a sacrifice fly off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 is taken out by manager Mark Kotsay in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo #2 is congratulated by Emmanuel Rivera #15 after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Corbin Carroll #7 in the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics first baseman Ryan Noda #49 takes the throw as Arizona Diamondbacks’ shortstop Geraldo Perdomo #2 is safe on a pick-off attempt in the fourth inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. #12 is congratulated by Corbin Carroll #7 after hitting a two-run home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo #2 hits a two-run home run off Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 reacts after giving up a two-run home run to Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo #2 as he rounds the bases in the second inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics fans watch from right field as they display signs in the first inning of their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks aat the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 makes a play to first base in the first inning of their MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics first baseman Ryan Noda #49 makes a catch on a fly ball hit by Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll #7 in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Drew Rucinski #47 throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, May 15, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
