McMahon hits 2-run homer in the 12th inning to lift Colorado Rockies over Oakland Athletics 4-3
Oakland Athletics' Brett Harris (77) reacts to striking out looking in the 10th inning inning of the team's baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday May 22, 2024, in San Francisco Chronicle. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a two-run home run in the 12th inning and the Colorado Rockies hung on to beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Elias Díaz had three hits including a two-run home run, while Brendan Rogers and Hunter Goodman each added a pair of hits to help Colorado snap a four-game losing streak. Before the skid, the Rockies had won seven consecutive games for their longest streak in nearly five years.
Oakland Athletics' Zack Gelof reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
“After that winning streak all the guys in here feel a bit differently,” McMahon said. “I think they know we’re in every game, and then having some success to do it leads to better results.”
Jake Cave began the 12th inning at second base and advanced to third on Ezequiel Tovar’s groundout. McMahon then hit his ninth homer of the season on a 2-2 slider from Kyle Muller (0-1).
That capped what had been a frustrating offensive night for Colorado. The Rockies had multiple chances to break the game open but stranded seven runners in scoring position before McMahon’s winning hit.
Oakland Athletics' JJ Bleday gestures while running the bases on a solo home run againt the Colorado Rockies during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday May 22, 2024, in San Francisco Chronicle. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
“Just finding a way to win,” said McMahon after homering in his third consecutive game. “If you find ways to win you can kind of lean on that memory. Like, ‘Hey, we’ve done this before.’ Just always gives you hope, which is a lot better to have than no hope.”
Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings, left, celebrates with pitcher Matt Koch after the Rockies defeated the Oakland Athletics 4-3 in 12 innings in a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The A’s scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 12th and had two runners on base before Matt Koch got Max Schuemann to fly out for his first save of the season.
Nick Mears (1-3) retired four batters for the win.
JJ Bleday homered for the A’s, who have lost 11 of 13.
The game drew a crowd of 3,617, the fifth-lowest at the Oakland Coliseum this season.
One day after rallying from three runs down late to beat the Rockies 5-4, the A’s nearly pulled off another comeback when Zack Gelof hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning to force extras.
The Rockies got the potential go-ahead run to third in the 10th then struck out three times in the 11th before coming through in the 12th.
Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar throws out Oakland Athletics' Abraham Toro at first base during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Oakland reliever Lucas Erceg made a stellar defensive play in the top of the 10th to keep the game tied when he barehanded a comebacker by Brenton Doyle and threw to first for the final out of the inning.
Díaz fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. The Rockies’ catcher got Colorado rolling when he hit a hanging slider from A’s starter Mitch Spence in the first inning, his first home run since May 8.
Díaz also singled in the third and doubled in the fifth before striking out swinging and grounding into a double play in his final two at-bats. It was his 16th multi-hit game of the season, tying Tovar for the team lead.
Rockies starter Austin Gomber had six strikeouts and allowed one run and five hits in eight innings. In four May starts, Gomber has allowed two runs in 26 2/3 innings for a 0.67 ERA.
“He was brilliant, changing speeds, ball-strike ratio off the charts,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Efficient eight innings. You don’t see that a lot in today’s game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland, on the injured list with a left elbow strain, threw a 15-pitch bullpen session and will throw again on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-5, 5.69 ERA) faces the A’s on Thursday for the first time in his career. Oakland counters with RHP Joey Estes (1-1, 9.35), who is also making his first start against Colorado.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Michael Wagaman, The Associated Press