Oakland A’s: Parker Roughed Up In 10-1 Rout
Apr 14, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Derek Norris (left) misses the tag on Detroit Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter (48) as he scores the Tigers 3rd run during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
Facing one of the best teams in the American League in the deciding third game of the series, the Oakland Athletics showed they still have some strides to make if they want to be playing deep into October.
Jarrod Parker fell to 0-2 on the season and allowed nine hits and eight runs against the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers. This is the second straight game that Parker has failed to make it out of the fourth inning, as Detroit hit him early and often to ensure they’d leave Northern California with a series win. Anibal Sanchez went seven innings for the Tigers, striking out eight and allowing only three hits, and although the A’s had several opportunities to break through they never got the big hit they needed as they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
It’s been a rough season so far for Parker. After Sunday’s game he has now allowed 14 runs on 24 hits with only four strikeouts in 11.2 innings. Oakland manager Bob Melvin stated after the game that Parker will make his next scheduled start, and he expressed confident in the young right-hander despite the early troubles.
Austin Jackson started things off for the Tigers with a single to center field, and Torii Hunter brought him home in the next at-bat on a double over the head of Chris Young to make it 1-0 in the top of the first. Hunter was brought home to make it 2-0 on a single to right field by Victor Martinez.
The second inning shaped up similarly, with Alex Avila leading off with a single to center field and stealing second on a wild pitch. Austin Jackson then made it 4-0 on a shot to left field off of a fastball from Parker, and after making quick work of the Tigers in the third Parker ran into trouble again in the fourth inning. Jackson kept his big day at the plate going, hitting a single to right field with one out. Hunter then hit a ball deep to center field, and Chris Young nearly made the running grab until the ball bounced out of his glove, putting baserunners on second and third for reigning AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, who scored both players on a single to left off the first pitch he saw.
Prince Fielder hit a line drive to the gap in left-center field the next at-bat, and a running start from Cabrera gave him enough time to round third and make it 7-0, Detroit. Melvin called upon Evan Scribner to relieve Parker at that point, and after Fielder moved to third on a groundout by Victor Martinez, Andy Dirks hit a single up the middle to make it 8-0 before Jhonny Peralta grounded out to end the inning.
The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but they could only bring home one run on a sacrifice fly to left field from Derek Norris, the only run of the game that Oakland would muster. It looked as if Norris would get his first home run of the year in the seventh inning on a shot to center field, but the ball bounced off the top of the wall to restrain the play to a double. That would be the last baserunner of the game for the Athletics.
Jackson made it 9-1 on a single to left field to score Peralta, his third RBI on the day. Peralta accounted for the final run to the game on a single to center field to score Martinez from third.
Oakland will face the Houston Astros in a three-game series at the Coliseum starting Monday night. It will be Houston’s first trip to the east bay as members of the AL West, and the A’s will look to rebound from Sunday’s loss as Tommy Milone tries to improve his record to 3-0 against left-hander Erik Bedard and the Astros. Game time is set for 7:05 PST.