Following the A’s 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, “A’s Postgame Live” host Dave Stewart breaks down a play in which Tony Kemp was called out at home plate.
The Athletics were on track to complete another late-game comeback against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday at the Oakland Coliseum, but Arizona’s defense had other plans.
Luis Medina got off to a good start and looked poised on the mound. He allowed three hits and three runs to go along with two walks and six strikeouts in six innings. And while Oakland's offense supported Medina with a late rally in the seventh inning, its bullpen collapsed late in a 5-3 loss.
The Diamondbacks struck first, with Christian Walker homering in the second inning and then Corbin Carroll blasting a two-run shot in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead.
As they learned from the night before, though, no lead was safe against the A’s.
At the bottom of the seventh, Diamondbacks right-hander Luis Frias walked the first two batters and Ramon Laureano tied the game with a three-run home run.
Just like that, tensions felt similar to how they did less than 24 hours prior on the very same baseball field when Oakland pulled out an impressive 9-8 comeback victory over Arizona.
Tony Kemp kept things rolling in the seventh for the A’s and ended a long hitless streak with a single. He previously was 0 for 18 since his last hit on May 8 and 0 for 42 in day games this season.
But the inning didn’t end as well as it started for Kemp. The 31-year-old was thrown out at home trying to use his speed to score from second on a single by Esteury Ruiz.
Oakland (10-35) entered the ninth inning tied at three runs apiece, but Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off for the Diamondbacks with a double and scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Jose Herrera.
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The A's lost the series against Arizona and have now lost all eight home series of the 2023 season thus far.
They'll get a day off on Thursday before packing their bags and heading to Houston to take on the Astros for a three-game series beginning Friday.