OAKLAND — Starting pitcher Joe Boyle lasted only an inning with control issues and a sore back as the Athletics fell 12-3 to the Miami Marlins at the Coliseum to see their win streak snapped at six games.
The Athletics, a day after reaching .500, fell to 17-18 and will face the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers four times over the next three days. The Marlins improved to 10-26.
The paid attendance of 12,212 on a youth baseball day promotion was the A’s second largest crowd of the season behind the 13,522 on Opening Day.
Nick Gordon of Miami hit a three-run home run off Boyle in a four-run first inning, his fourth of the season. After scoring 20 runs with 21 hits and six home runs in Saturday’s blowout win over Miami, the early deficit was too much to overcome as six Miami pitchers held Oakland to five hits and no home runs.
Sixto Sanchez gave up two runs through four innings before giving way to Burch Smith (2-0), Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher and Eli Villalobos for an inning each.
The Athletics got a run in the eighth when Max Schuemann singled home Brent Rooker, who doubled down the left field line with two outs.
The Athletics cut the Miami lead to 5-2 in the fourth with Darell Hernaiz hitting a bullet RBI single (105.4 miles per hour) to center to drive in Rooker, who had singled and gone to second on a ground ball out. After Lawrence Butler walked, Kyle McCann hit a chopper to first. Josh Bell fielded the ball, but threw high to second with a second run scoring.
In his previous start, Boyle (2-5) weathered a first inning where only 10 of 26 pitches were strikes with two walks and two wild pitches by giving up only a single run that scored on a wild pitch. He ended up the winning pitcher, lasting through five innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates never scored again.
It was a similar story against Miami with one major exception. While Pittsburgh didn’t take advantage of the free baserunners, the Marlins got a three-run home run from Gordon for a 4-0 lead. It was the only hit MIami would get in the inning. The first run scored on a fielders choice after two of his walks.
Only 16 of Boyle’s 35 pitches in the first inning were strikes. He walked three and allowed three stolen bases, two of which were by Jazz Chisholm Jr. after getting a huge jump. He finished inning, but didn’t come out for the second, with the club announcing Boyle had departed with a lower back injury.
When the second inning began, Mitch Spence was on the mound and Kotsay was forced to dig into his bullpen earlier than hoped — especially with four games to play over the next three days including a Wednesday doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.
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Miami reached Spence for a run in the second on a run-scoring single by Josh Bell and twice more in the sixth on run-scoring doubles by former A’s Jonah Bride and Christian Bethancourt. Michael Kelly replaced Spence and gave up a run-scoring single to Chisholm to put the Marlins up 8-2.
Miami added four insurance runs off left-hander T.J. McFarland, who got a procession of ground balls that found holes and ended up surrendering six hits and four earned runs.
Rooker finished 2-for-3 and was 6-for-10 for the series against Miami.