Allen and Langeliers come through for A’s in 8-6 win over Giants in Bay Bridge series
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Nick Allen homered twice and had three RBIs, Shea Langeliers put Oakland ahead with a two-run single in the sixth inning and the Athletics rallied to beat the San Francisco Giants 8-6 on Sunday.
Allen was hitting .155 in 21 games since returning from the minors July 4 before his breakout game sparked Oakland to its second consecutive win following a four-game losing streak.
“Anytime I hit a home run, it’s special. But hitting two, it’s amazing,” said Allen, who hadn’t homered twice in a game since doing it at Double-A in 2021. “I woke up on the right side of the bed. I felt like I was seeing the ball well today.”
Limited to eight runs over their previous eight games, the last-place A’s outlasted Giants All-Star Alex Cobb and then broke through with three runs in the sixth. Oakland earned its second successive victory in the annual Bay Bridge series after losing the first two matchups in San Francisco this year.
Seth Brown doubled twice and had his first triple of the season for Oakland. Zack Gelof added the first three-hit game of his career as the A’s won back-to-back games for the fifth time since their season-high seven-game winning streak in June.
“It was a great day for Nick Allen,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said. “He’s been grinding. He obviously knows that offensively he has got to get going, and today was a great day for him. He has that ability to the pull side to drive the baseball, which he showed today. “
LaMonte Wade Jr. had three hits and two RBIs, and Patrick Bailey singled twice and walked twice for San Francisco. The Giants (61-51) dropped into a tie with the Phillies for the top National League wild card.
Allen, a 5-foot-8 shortstop, provided the A’s with a pair of highlights on a day they honored the latest group of inductees into the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
Kirby Snead (1-0) struck out all three batters he faced to earn his first win since July 12, 2022. Trevor May, the last of six A’s relievers, got three outs for his 11th save.
“The bullpen did a great job,” Kotsay said. “Guy after guy came in and threw strikes.”
While continued chants of “Sell the team!” echoed throughout the Coliseum, Allen homered in the second and fifth. Both drives came off Cobb, who wound up with a no-decision against the A’s for the second time in three weeks. Allen also reached on an infield single against Jakob Junis in the eighth.
“Sometimes it just comes in bunches,” Allen said. “If it’s in the same game, it’s in the same game. I’m just happy that we got a win.”
Cobb, a first-time All-Star this season, allowed seven hits and five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
After Brown doubled in the sixth to chase Cobb, the A’s quickly got to reliever Luke Jackson (1-1).
Brent Rooker reached on a throwing error by four-time Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford, and Jordan Diaz walked to load the bases. A’s rookie Tyler Soderstrom walked to force in a run and cut the Giants’ lead to 6-5.
Langeliers, mired in a 35-for-195 (.179) slump, followed with a sharp single up the middle to put Oakland in front.
“To get where you want to be, you have to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat,” Cobb said. “Letting two games go like that, hopefully it’s not going to cost us at the end of the year, but definitely has the potential to.”
Pinch-hitter Tony Kemp added a sacrifice fly off Ryan Walker in the seventh for the A’s.
Oakland starter Luis Medina got 10 outs and allowed four runs (three earned).
LA RUSSA’S SPECIAL VISIT
Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is thrilled to be cleared to travel again after a health scare unrelated to his heart issue a year ago while managing the White Sox during which he had a pacemaker inserted for his heart. “I’m doing much better,” he said, back in Oakland as the A’s honored their new Hall of Fame class.
The 78-year-old La Russa guided Oakland to three straight World Series from 1988-90, including the ’89 earthquake-interrupted title in a four-game sweep of the Giants.
Former slugger Jason Giambi, who spent his first eight seasons in the majors with the A’s, was among the five inductees.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: RHP Anthony DeSclafani, sidelined since July 27 with a flexor strain in his pitching elbow, received a PRP injection and is unlikely to throw for up to two months. Manager Gabe Kapler said the team won’t rule out a return this season “but it’s going to be a while.”
Athletics: 1B Ryan Noda will need at least a short rehab assignment as he works back from a fractured jaw. He will take live batting practice against RHP Mason Miller (tightness in his pitching forearm) on Tuesday and if that goes well Noda could begin a rehab assignment Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (9-9, 3.45 ERA) pitches against Patrick Sandoval and the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. San Francisco’s ace is coming off a strong outing when he beat Arizona last Wednesday, his first victory since July 9.
Athletics: LHP Ken Waldichuk (2-7, 6.52) faces Texas on Monday in the opener of a three-game series in Oakland. Waldichuk is winless in two career starts against the Rangers.
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