Mason Miller slams the Door in the Ninth
The Oakland Athletics kicked off a three-game series with the AL West rival Houston Astros tonight at the Coliseum. After struggling early in the season, the Astros have righted the ship and began today tied for first in the division. Mark Kotsay sent Hogan Harris to the mound tonight to face off against 24-year-old rookie righthander Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros.
Today marked an interesting milestone in ML baseball. For the first time ever, two starting pitchers from the University of Louisiana -Lafayette faced off against one another. Hogan Harris attended the university 2016-18 and Spencer Arrighetti attended in 2021.
The A’s got on the board first in the bottom of the third. Max Schuemann and Lawrence Butler both singled. Miguel Andujar then doubled scoring both baserunners. JJ Bleday followed with a double of his own, scoring Andujar and pushing the lead to 3-0 for the A’s.
Seeing double pic.twitter.com/M4RrXTX9hA
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 23, 2024
Zack Gelof worked a 3-2 walk against Arrighetti to open the bottom of the fourth inning. He stole second and took third on an infield ground out. With two down, Max Schuemann singled to score Gelof. Butler ripped a base hit to centerfield, moving Schuemann to third. Andujar popped out to former A’s utilityman Aledmys Díaz, playing first tonight for the Astros to end the threat.
Harris made quick work of the Astros in the top of the fifth inning. He retired the order with twelve pitches.
Alex Bregman led off the sixth with the first hit since the second inning. But before long the bases were loaded with just one out. But a 5-4-3 double play ended the inning and kept the shutout in intact through six.
Hogan Harris was relieved with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. His final line was 6.2 innings, seven hits, seven strikeouts, two walks and no runs. Austin Adams took care of Alex Bregman to end the inning.
Lucas Erceg replaced Adams in the eighth inning. He struck out Yordan Alvarez with a 98 MPH, letter-high fastball. Diaz and Jeremy Peña each grounded out to end the inning quietly.
JJ Bleday led off the bottom of the eighth with a base hit to left field. Rooker gave the ball a long ride to centerfield, but Meyers tracked it down for just a loud out. Shea Langeliers grounded into a double play to end the inning and bring us to the ninth.
The A’s lone All-Star Mason Miller entered the game to slam the door in the ninth. With a 4-0 lead, it wasn’t a save situation, but hitting 100 mph plus seven times in the inning, the Astros were no match for Miller tonight.
