Passed balls cost A's in 6-4 loss to Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP) — Stephen Vogt couldn't do anything more than feel terrible about his two passed balls in one inning, mistakes that cost the Oakland Athletics the lead in their latest loss.
Down by two runs in the sixth inning, the Arizona Diamondbacks took advantage of Vogt's passed balls to to tie the score and then took the lead for good in the seventh and beat the Athletics 6-4 Friday night.
The A's led 2-0 when the passed balls put runners on the corners with one out. Then David Peralta doubled in a run and Welington Castillo tied the score with a sacrifice fly. Diamondbacks All-Star Paul Goldschmidt hustled to first base on the second passed ball, after swinging at a third strike Vogt dropped. He scored the tying run.
"We talked all year how hard it is to give teams four and five outs," Vogt said. "(Gray) makes a great pitch to strike out the National League MVP, in my opinion, and I can't catch those ... balls and keep them off first. Obviously I am very frustrated with myself."
The Diamondbacks scored four times in the seventh, chasing A's ace Sonny Gray, to take a 6-2 lead. Goldschmidt homered off reliever Pat Venditte in the inning.
Brett Lawrie hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth for the final margin, as the A's lost their third in a row and dropped to 4-12 over their last 16 games.
The Diamondbacks are 10-5 in interleague play this season and ended a four-game losing streak with their sixth straight over Oakland at home. The two teams hadn't played each other since 2012.
Gray (12-6) lasted 6 1/3 innings and allowed four runs, two earned, with five strikeouts and two walks. He had been 8-2 on the road this season coming in.
"I hung a couple 0-2 pitches there in the seventh and they put some good swings on it," Gray said. "I have to go back out there (after losing the lead in the sixth) and be a little bit better there."
Randall Delgado (5-3) pitched one inning of scoreless relief for the win.
Oakland took a 2-0 lead on doubles by Marcus Semien and Mark Canha sandwiching Billy Burns' run-scoring single. Burns and Canha drove in a run each with two out against Diamondbacks starter Chase Anderson.
Anderson, however, settled down, and left with a no-decision after allowing five hits, striking out three and walking one.
"Chase did a nice job. I thought he battled and kept us in the game," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said.
Josh Reddick, who made the catch on Castillo's sacrifice fly, sent a strong throw toward home but Canha cut it off. Reddick gestured angrily after the play, throwing his glove hand up in disgust.
"In this ballpark against a team that has scored more runs than any other team in the National League, you need to try to add some more on," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's not like we weren't trying. We just didn't."
Lawrie's home run sailed into the upper deck in left field, one of the farthest-hit balls at Chase Field this season. Former A's reliever Brad Ziegler got two outs for his 22nd straight converted save chance.
MANAGERS AND FRIENDS
Hale and Melvin faced each other for the first time since Hale was named Arizona's manager in October 2014. Hale was a third base and infield coach on Melvin's staff from 2007-09 in Arizona and bench coach with Melvin's Oakland staff from 2012-14.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: 1B Ike Davis had successful arthroscopic left hip surgery on Thursday in Vail, Colo., the club announced. The procedure repaired the torn labrum in Davis' left hip.
Diamondbacks: Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson has a dislodged right index fingernail from being struck by a ball Thursday but could be available to pitch as soon as Saturday.
UP NEXT
Athletics: RHP Aaron Brooks, called up from Triple-A Nashville after Friday's game, will get the start in place of Felix Doubront on Saturday. Doubront's next start was pushed back to Monday. It's Brooks' second callup with Oakland this season.
DIAMONDBACKS: RHP Jhoulys Chacin is coming off his Diamondbacks debut on Monday, when he allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in a loss to St. Louis. It will be his first career start against Oakland.