OAKLAND – The Dodgers paid their final respects to Oakland Coliseum this weekend, the last field on which they celebrated winning a full-season championship (Game 5 of the 1988 World Series was played here).
They paid more than that. They also paid some of the Oakland A’s bills.
The Dodgers’ three-day visit drew 81,811 fans – a three-day average of 27,270 fans per game for a team that averaged 8,179 a game before the Dodgers fans got there.
After an unsteady start to the weekend, the Dodgers took the series from the A’s with a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon.
Dave Roberts joked about taking something from the visiting manager’s office as a souvenir. More valuably, he leaves town with a stabilized bullpen. After Joe Kelly gave up a two-run home run to Brent Rooker in the fifth inning Friday night, Dodgers relievers strung together 10 ⅓ scoreless innings including 4 ⅓ while protecting a one-run lead Sunday.
Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia, Daniel Hudson and Anthony Banda combined to retire 13 of the final 14 A’s batters, six on strikeouts.
The Dodgers took an early lead on a two-run double by Kiké Hernandez in the first inning but rookie starter River Ryan gave it back in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Rooker.
The Dodgers regained the lead on Cavan Biggio’s two-out RBI single in the third inning. Ryan and the bullpen walked the tightrope from there.
Making the 50th start by a rookie pitcher for the Dodgers this season, Ryan made it only into the fifth inning. When the A’s loaded the bases with two outs, Roberts went to Phillips – an early deployment for the one-time closer who is trying to regain his footing after a rough stretch. He froze Rooker with a 1-and-2 sweeper to end the inning.
The A’s had just one more hit in the game — a routine fly ball to center field that Kevin Kiermaier lost in the sun for a double.
