Brent Rooker’s 2-run homer leads A’s to fifth straight win, 3-1 over Marlins
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and the Oakland Athletics beat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
“I’ve been really pleased with my process, been pleased with how my at-bats have gone, the way I’ve felt, the way I’ve seen the ball, the swings I’ve taken,” Rooker said. “I just kind of figured if I continue along on that road the results will start coming and hopefully that’s a sign of that.”
Esteury Ruiz added an RBI single in the fifth as the A’s backed lefty JP Sears (2-2), who won for the first time in four starts.
“We just want to keep it rolling, we’re playing good ball,” Sears said.
Oakland, which is 16-17, lost 112 games last season and didn’t pick up its 16th victory until a win at Milwaukee on June 10 in its 66th game. Now, the A’s are on a roll. They drew 8,533 fans for the interleague opener.
Before the game, the Marlins agreed to trade second baseman Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres, but the team said the deal still needed a review of medical information for the swap to be finalized.
Miami changed its lineup minutes before the game started, pulling the 27-year-old Arraez out of the leadoff spot and second base. Arraez was hitting .299 with five RBIs and had scored 22 runs with a .347 on-base percentage over 16 games.
“When a guy like that is taken out of the lineup or potentially traded, you feel it, because he’s such a good kid and one of the leaders in that clubhouse,” manager Skip Schumaker said, “so there’s definitely a shock value.”
Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers (2-3) was tagged for three runs on five hits and struck out five with no walks over six innings.
Miami had won three straight coming into their final visit to the Coliseum before the A’s play the next three seasons in Sacramento as their new Las Vegas ballpark is being built.
Sears gave up a one-out triple to Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the second but escaped unscathed after striking out Emmanuel Rivera and retiring Otto Lopez on a grounder after a 10-pitch battle.
He was tagged for seven runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Orioles in his previous start.
Lucas Erceg, the fourth A’s pitcher, gave up a two-out RBI single to Nick Gordon before finishing for his second save — recording the final four outs.
“It’s contagious throwing the ball well,” Sears said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Bryan Hoeing was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday with a strained left hamstring. … LHP Jesús Luzardo, sidelined with tightness in his pitching elbow, threw a 22-pitch bullpen session Thursday and is scheduled to pitch with Single-A Jupiter on Sunday and throw four innings and 60 pitches. … RHP Sandy Alcantara will play catch Saturday in Oakland as he works back from Tommy John surgery. … 3B Jake Burger will play the field again for Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday as he continues his rehab assignment.
Athletics: Injured 2B Zack Gelof (left oblique strain) threw across infield practice before the game.
UP NEXT
LHP Trevor Rogers (0-4, 4.31 ERA) is still seeking his first win since April 14, 2023, when he pitches for the Marlins on Saturday opposite the A’s RHP Paul Blackburn (2-1, 3.34). Rogers faces the A’s for the first time and has a 3.04 ERA over 10 career interleague starts.
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