A’s can’t overcome key mistake in 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay takes advantage of Sean Murphy's error while avoiding a 3-game sweep in Oakland.

It’s something Athletics manager Bob Melvin has said on multiple occasions throughout the young 2021 season: A close game often comes down to one clearly identifiable moment. It could be a single pitch, hit or error. Maybe it’s a pitching change at the wrong time or a pinch hitter that shouldn’t have come into the game.

In Oakland’s 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, a fifth-inning dropped pop up by A’s catcher Sean Murphy was the catalyst for his team’s defeat. Was it the only mistake the A’s made throughout the contest? No. But it certainly got things trending in the wrong direction and Oakland eventually fell to 21-15 on the season.

Murphy’s defensive blunder allowed Rays’ second baseman Mike Brosseau to reach base, ending A’s starter Cole Irvin’s streak of 12 consecutive batters retired. Four pitches later, Tampa Bay’s Joey Wendle hit a double on a ball that snuck under A’s first baseman Matt Olson’s glove. Two batters later, the Rays’ Willy Adames powered a home run to right field.

Adames’ home run tied the game at 3-3 and an inning later Brosseau homered to left to give the Rays a lead they never relinquished.

But it was that error in the fifth inning that clearly left Irvin (3-4) rattled. After the 27-year-old southpaw threw just 44 pitches in his first four innings of work, it took him 21 pitches to get through the fifth inning and 17 to get through the sixth. Irvin allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings pitched. It was the first time since April 8 that he allowed four runs to score.

Despite its clear significance to the outcome of the game, Murphy’s error was far from the A’s only issue on Sunday. The Oakland offense left five runners on base, including Elvis Andrus, who hit a two-out triple to right in the seventh and never scored. All three of the A’s runs came in the fourth inning.

Olson also had a base-running error that may have cost his team the tying run in the eighth inning when he hesitated after a wild pitch and was thrown out trying to advance to third with two outs. The A’s did not get any runners on base in the ninth inning.

The A’s loss on Sunday did come with several positive, despite the mistakes. A’s third baseman Matt Chapman recorded three hits, his first multi-hit game since April 29. Chapman entered play hitting .195 and was able to raise his batting average to .213. He’s recorded at least one hit in 10 of his last 12 games.

Oakland right-handed reliever Burch Smith made his first appearance since returning from the injured list and retired all six batters he faced.

The A’s have the day off on Monday before traveling to Boston for a three-game series against the Red Sox. With A’s starters Mike Fiers and Jesus Luzardo on the injured list, it is unclear what their rotation will look like throughout the road trip.