Oakland Athletics Explode For 9 In 1st Inning, Rout White Sox 16-6
By Phil Watson
Mar 18, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Jed Lowrie (8) hits a three run home run in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Jesse Chavez finally gave up a run this spring—two, in fact—but a nine-run first inning buoyed the Oakland Athletics to a 16-6 win over the Chicago White Sox in Cactus League play Tuesday at Camelback Ranch.
Chavez (4-0) surrendered two runs on six hits and two walks in 4.2 innings, striking out two—raising his spring ERA to 1.04—but after getting nine runs of support in the first inning, Chavez was just fine.
The veteran right-hander has apparently earned a spot in the starting rotation with the combination of his work in Arizona and injuries to Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin, but he’s not taking anything for granted.
"“It’s just been hearsay to me and I haven’t approached it as, ‘I’m in the rotation,’” Chavez told MLB.com. “I’ve approached it like I’m just showing up every five days to get my work in and get ready for the season. It’s awesome to be considered for it and to hear it.”"
The A’s (10-8) tattooed Chicago lefty Jose Quintana (0-2), who didn’t get an out in the first and was tagged with all nine runs. Oakland sent 10 men to the plate before making an out.
Coco Crisp led off with a double, went to third on Nick Punto’s bunt single and then both scored when Jed Lowrie homered to left, his second of the spring.
They were just getting started.
Derek Norris and Alberto Callaspo drew back-to-back walks and Michael Taylor made it 4-0 with an RBI double. Daric Barton reached on an infield single that scored Callaspo to put Oakland up 5-0 and Jake Elmore delivered an RBI single.
Sam Fuld tripled to center to chase home two more runs to make it an 8-0 game and Crisp singled home a run off reliever Deunte Heath. Heath walked Lowrie and Callaspo to load the bases, but struck out Taylor to finally end the inning.
Conor Gillaspie accounted for the first run Chavez gave up this spring with a solo homer with one out in the second. It was his third long ball this spring and the first of four the White Sox (7-9) would slug on the day.
The A’s got three more in the third on a two-run triple by Taylor and an RBI single by Elmore. Tyler Flowers hit his second Cactus League homer for the White Sox to lead off the bottom of the third.
Chicago gave away a couple of runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Callaspo’s grounder to shortstop Alexei Ramirez was booted, allowing Crisp and Lowrie to score to give the A’s a 14-2 lead.
Jordan Danks hit the first of his two homers for the White Sox in the bottom of the seventh off Dan Otero. He added a two-run blast, his fourth of the spring, in the ninth off reliever Nolan Sanburn, who also gave up a run on Micah Johnson’s RBI groundout.
Connor Crumbliss had an RBI double for Oakland in the eighth and Hiroyuki Nakajima drove in a run in the ninth with a single.
Otero worked 2.1 innings, allowing only the homer to Danks while striking out one. Evan Scribner struck out a batter while pitching a perfect eighth and Sanburn was tagged for three runs on three hits in the ninth, striking out one.
The A’s cracked 20 hits on the day, with Crisp going 3-for-3 and Punto, Taylor, Barton, Elmore and Nakajima each recording two hits.
Oakland goes to Goodyear Ballpark on Wednesday to take on the Cleveland Indians at 1:05 p.m. Pacific.