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Game two of the three-game series between the Athletics and the Arizona Diamondbacks took place tonight at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Pitching for the Athletics was 26-year-old righty Jack Perkins against 26-year-old righthanded rookie Kohl Drake who made his major league debut tonight.
Max Kepler gave the D-backs an early lead with a first inning three-run homer, scoring Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno. That gave the Snakes a 3-0 lead, but the A’s got one back in the top of the third after a lead-off triple by Lawrence Butler and a bloop base hit by Alika Williams. Jacob Wilson got plunked on the elbow by a Drake four-seam fastball, moving Williams to second with no outs. Tyler Soderstrom walked to load the bases. But Shea Langeliers lined out sharply and Jonah Heim grounded into a double play to end the inning.
After giving up the first inning homer, Perkins settled in nicely and completed five innings with a line of: 5.0 innings, three earned runs, five hits and one walk. He struck out four. Brady Basso took over in the sixth. He gave up a single to Kepler but set the rest of the D-backs down easily.
Geoff Hartlieb took over for Basso in the bottom of the seventh. Ildemaro Vargas and Jorge Barrosa each walked to open up the inning. They moved up one base on a wild pitch and Vargas scored on a Ketel Marte sacrifice fly. That brought the score to 4-1 and chased Hartlieb. José Suarez replaced him with one out and a runner on third. He struck out the next two batters to end the inning and hold Arizona to just one run.
Sheal Langeliers got the Athletics a bit closer with a bomb to deep left field for a solo homer. Jonah Hiem singled as did Tommy White to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with just one out. But Jeff McNeil grounded into a double play to end the threat. Headed into the bottom of the eighth, the A’s trail 4-2.
Elvis Alvarado entered the game to itch the bottom of the eighth. He escaped with no further damage.
In the top of the ninth, with two outs the comeback was complete. Down to their last out, Donovan Walton tripled. The next batter, Jacob Wildon launched a two-run homer into the left field stands. That tied the score against the Diamondback’s closer and sent the game into the bottom of the ninth.
Hogan Harris entered to pitch the ninth. Jorge Barrosa dropped a bunt single to lead off the inning. But Harris escaped with damage.
Tyler Soderstrom was the placed runner on second. Langeliers grounded out, moving Soderstrom to third. Jonah Heim hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Soderstrom and giving the A’s a lead headed into the bottom of the tenth inning. Luis Medina pitched the tenth. Corbin Carroll was the placed runner. Medina walked Moreno. Kepler walked to load the bases. That brought up Nolan Arenado who was 0-4 coming into this at-bat. He dropped a single in front of Butler to score Carroll to tie the score. Vargas singled to take the game for the Diamondbacks 6-5 and tie up the series 1-1.
