Hole-in-one: A's lose potential run on wall ball

July 3rd, 2016

OAKLAND -- The confines of the Coliseum weren't kind to the A's in the fifth inning of Saturday's game against the Pirates.
Oakland was potentially robbed of the go-ahead run when Josh Reddick's batted ball landed in what appeared to be a hole at the base of the wall in right field. The ball remained stuck, causing Pirates outfielder Sean Rodriguez to raise his arms and the play to be called dead.
"It got trapped on the fly," Rodriguez said. "I've never seen that. Straight in the air, the ball got trapped under there. You could see it, but I was like I can't reach it. As long as I've been playing, a ball gets stuck like that, you just raise your hands."
Jed Lowrie, who was on first base prior to the hit, would have possibly scored on the play. Instead, he was sent back to third base. Danny Valencia grounded out to end the inning, stranding both Lowrie and Reddick in a 2-2 game.
Reddick was awarded a ground-rule double. The A's went on to lose 4-2 in the 10th inning.
"That was very frustrating," said Reddick after reviewing video of the play. "It could've won the game."

Reddick, who plays right field, estimated the length of the opening was three inches. He said he knew the hole was an opening for a wheel directly behind the wall, which allows for the wall to be moved if necessary. The A's share the Coliseum with the Oakland Raiders.
Rodriguez said it was the only hole he saw along the wall.
"I was like, 'Wow. I was going to go get it, but no, I can't.' That was too good. I don't want to ruin it. Let me marvel at it," he joked.
"It's never happened here before," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's very unfortunate because that's definitely a run."
The A's were held scoreless over their final seven innings and managed just four hits after the fifth, eventually losing after the Pirates mounted a two-run rally in the 10th.
"I've never hit a hole-inione before, even in golf, so I guess this will have to count. It just [stinks] it did get stuck because Jed was going to score," Reddick said.