OAKLAND, Calif. — – On paper, it looked like a huge mismatch, with last-place Oakland sending some tough players against Aaron Judge and the mighty New York Yankees.
Instead, the Yankees finished with five hits in a strange set of consecutive losses.
Minor League call-up Adrián Martínez held New York hitless in the fifth inning and the Athletics beat the Yankees 4-1 on Sunday.
“This is the time of year when it’s kind of a grind,” Judge said. “This team knows that. They kicked our butt. We have to stand up and respond.”
A night after the vaunted Yankees lineup managed one hit in 11 innings against Adam Oller and the Oakland bullpen, New York wasn’t much better against another starter who entered with an ERA over 6.00.
Martínez (3-3), called up from Triple-A before the game, allowed two walks and no other baserunners until Aaron Hicks’ two-out single in the fifth for New York’s second hit in a span of 18 minutes against the last – place A.
“We should be able to put more offense together,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We have to figure out if we’re going to be the type of team we expect to be. We have to do a better job.”
Kyle Higashioka added an RBI single in the fifth for the lone run Martinez, who allowed three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
New York managed just one more hit than the Oakland champ, with AJ Puk getting three shots for his fourth save.
The strong campaign kept Judge stuck at 49 home runs as he tries to become the 10th player in major league history with multiple seasons of at least 50 home runs. Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
“You have to flip your lid sometimes,” Judge said. “They had some good pitchers out there that made pitches when they needed to and kept us off balance the last two days.”
The A’s bounced back against Clarke Schmidt (5-3) in his second start of the season. Stephen Vogt, who hit a two-run homer in the 10th on Saturday, followed with an RBI double in the first and scored on Dermis Garcia’s single.
Tony Kemp and Garcia added the RBI single in the third to make it 4-0.
That was more than enough for Martinez.
“When I saw Adrian last night, he had a big smile on his face,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “This kid just seems to thrive on big environments or the Triple-A numbers don’t show how he’s able to come out and perform here. He did that today against one of the best lineups in the league.”
The win came after the A’s were officially eliminated from the AL West race with Houston’s win over Baltimore. This is the earliest Oakland has ever been eliminated from winning the division.
COACH ROOM
Yankees: LHP Anthony Banda was signed and added to the active roster to replace Aroldis Chapman, who went to IL on Saturday. Banda got two outs in his Yankees debut. … RHP Luis Gil retired and placed on 60-day IL. … Boone said LHP Zach Britton (Tommy John surgery) left his second minor league rehab appearance in Florida Saturday with cramping in his groin but is expected to make his next appearance in a few days. … LHP Chasen Shreve was designated to the Yankees FCL roster.
Athletics: E Ramon Laureano (slant left) will not join the team on the upcoming road trip. Laureano took a day off from his rehab work after feeling pain after running the bases on Saturday. … OF Cristian Pache was also called up from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game and LHP Jared Koenig and INF David MacKinnon were optioned to the minors.
threshing
The A’s honored the 2002 team that won what was then an AL-record 20 consecutive games. Scott Hatteberg and Art Howe addressed the crowd before the game and Miguel Tejada threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Hatteberg. More than a dozen players were in attendance.
“It bonded us and brought us together as a club,” said Hatteberg, who hit a late-game homer in his 20th win after the A’s blew an 11-run lead against Kansas City. “I see these guys and I look at them and it’s like I was looking at them back then. Now we’re a tight group.”
NEXT
Yankees: RHP Frankie Montas (4-10, 3.84 ERA) will make his fifth start with the Yankees when New York opens a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels.
Athletics: Oakland hits the road for a six-game road trip starting Tuesday at Washington when Cole Irvin (6-11, 3.16 ERA) takes the mound looking to snap a personal four-game losing streak.
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