PHILS TURN TRIPLE PLAY, STILL FALL TO A’S

Oakland Retains 2-1/2 Game Lead in AL West

OAKLAND, Sept. 20 (AP) – The Philadelphia Phillies turned the fourth triple play in the major leagues this season, but still succumbed to the Oakland Athletics by a score of 4-2 at the Oakland Coliseum.  The A’s leveraged a three-run second inning and outhit the Phillies 12-5 en route to the victory.  The win, coupled with the Angels’ 9-3 victory over the Rangers, leaves the A’s 2 ½ games ahead of Los Angeles in the race for the American League West flag with eight days remaining in the regular season.

Oakland seized a lead that would never be relinquished in the bottom of the second, plating three runs off Philadelphia starter Jerome Williams.  Brandon Moss led off with a double and advanced to third on Josh Reddick’s infield single.  Jedd Lowrie’s double to left scored Moss with the first run and chased Reddick to third.  Derek Norris followed with the first of his three hits on the day, a single to center, scoring Reddick and advancing Lowrie to third.  Eric Sogard’s sacrifice fly to center capped the frame’s scoring.

The A’s threatened to add to that lead in the fourth when Lowrie drew a lead-off walk and a Norris base hit left runners at first and second with no outs.  But Sogard’s line drive was speared by Williams who quickly threw to third baseman Cody Asche, doubling off Lowrie.  Norris was 2/3 of the way to second base at this point and Asche simply lobbed a throw to first baseman Maikel Franco who tapped the bag to complete the triple play.

Undaunted, Oakland added a fourth run in the bottom of the fifth when Josh Donaldson singled with two outs, advanced to second on Adam Dunn’s broken bat bloop hit to center and scored on Moss’ base hit.

A’s starter Drew Pomeranz was in complete control for six innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four.  When Ryan Howard singled with one out in the top of the seventh, Oakland manager Bob Melvin replaced Pomeranz with Ryan Cook, who retired Marlon Byrd on strikes and Darin Ruf on a ground ball to keep the shutout intact. 

Luke Gregorson held the Phillies off the scoreboard in the eighth inning and Sean Doolitle took over for the A’s in the bottom of the ninth, attempting to protect a four-run lead.  It almost got away from him.  Doolitle entered the game having held the opposition scoreless in 18 of his last 19 appearances, and appeared poised to make it 19 of 20 when he retired Franco on a fly to center and struck out pinch hitter Tony Gwynn, Jr.  But pinch hitter Grady Sizemore lined a base hit to right-center and Byrd followed by driving an 0-2 mistake over the wall in left to cut the lead to 4-2.  When Ruf walked on a 3-2 pitch, the tying run stood at the plate in the form of Asche.  Doolitle fell behind Asche 3-1 before retiring him on a grounder to third to end the game.

9/20/2014, Phi14-Oak14, The Coliseum

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

2014 Phillies          0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2     2  5  1     5  0

2014 Athletics         0  3  0  0  1  0  0  0  x     4 12  0     9  1

Phillies             AB  R  H BI   AVG    Athletics            AB  R  H BI   AVG

Revere            cf  4  0  1  0  .313    Fuld              cf  5  0  1  0  .254

Franco            1b  4  0  0  0  .068    Vogt              1b  4  0  0  0  .256

Utley             2b  3  0  0  0  .262    Donaldson         3b  4  1  2  0  .254

 Gwynn            ph  1  0  0  0  .188    Dunn,A            dh  3  0  1  0  .261

Howard            dh  2  0  1  0  .202     Crisp            ph  1  0  1  0  .233

 Sizemore,G       ph  1  1  1  0  .231    Moss              lf  3  1  2  1  .233

Byrd              rf  3  1  1  2  .259     Gomes,J          ph  1  0  0  0  .216

Ruf               lf  3  0  0  0  .232    Reddick           rf  3  1  1  0  .299

Asche             3b  4  0  0  0  .271    Lowrie            ss  3  1  1  1  .248

Nieves            c   3  0  1  0  .220    Norris,De         c   4  0  3  1  .304

Galvis            ss  3  0  0  0  .229    Sogard            2b  2  0  0  1  .237

                     31  2  5  2           Punto            ph  1  0  0  0  .231

                                                               34  4 12  4

Phillies                         INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Williams,Je      L 5-3           5.0 10  4  4  1  2  91  59  3.07

Diekman                          2.0  2  0  0  1  3  46  31  3.99

Bastardo                         1.0  0  0  0  0  1   9   7  2.90

                                 8.0 12  4  4  2  6 146  97

Athletics                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Pomeranz         W 6-2           6.1  2  0  0  1  4  84  53  1.78

Cook                             0.2  0  0  0  0  1   8   5  1.42

Gregerson                        1.0  1  0  0  0  1  12  10  2.31

Doolittle                        1.0  2  2  2  1  1  29  19  1.55

                                 9.0  5  2  2  2  7 133  87

Phi: Gwynn batted for Utley in the 9th

     Sizemore,G batted for Howard in the 9th

Oak: Crisp batted for Dunn,A in the 7th

     Gomes,J batted for Moss in the 7th

     Gomes,J moved to lf in the 8th

     Punto batted for Sogard in the 8th

     Punto moved to 2b in the 9th

E-Franco. 2B-Nieves(5), Donaldson(32), Moss(23), Lowrie(24), Norris,De(20).

HR-Byrd(19). RBI-Byrd 2(60), Moss(64), Lowrie(58), Norris,De(47), Sogard(23).

SB-Crisp(18). K-Revere, Utley, Howard, Byrd, Galvis 2, Gwynn, Fuld 2, Vogt 2,

Dunn,A, Gomes,J. BB-Byrd, Ruf, Reddick, Lowrie. SF-Sogard. HBP-Howard.

HB-Pomeranz.

GWRBI: Lowrie

Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: out to right at 3 MPH.

Attendance: 35,256

Game Time: 2:46