OAKLAND -- The Yankees were clicking in all departments during their 13-game winning streak, notably cutting down on defensive miscues and offensive woes with runners on base. Both reappeared in the past two games, a major reason the Bombers departed the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday with only a split of a four-game series.
Chad Green surrendered a go-ahead, two-run homer to Tony Kemp in the eighth inning as the Yankees lost consecutive games for the first time since July 22-23, absorbing a 3-1 defeat to the Athletics. Kemp’s line-drive shot to right field immediately followed a difficult play in left field for Joey Gallo, who could not corral Mark Canha’s line-drive double over his head.
“We wanted the series, but we’ve got to dust it off and just be ready again,” Giancarlo Stanton said. “It’s not ideal, but we weren’t going to win out the rest of the season. We obviously expect that every day, but you’ve got to understand reality. We’ll be fine.
After outscoring the Athletics 15-8 in the first two games of the set, New York’s win streak snapped with a 3-2 loss on Saturday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he believes his club is on solid ground as it heads to Anaheim for three games against the Angels.
“I feel like we’re in a really good mental space,” Boone said. “The focus is where it needs to be. You’re going to hit a bump in the road along the way, even when we’re playing great. It’s disappointing we couldn’t grab this one, but it’s on to Anaheim now. We’ve got a big one tomorrow.”
Kemp’s homer was the 11th surrendered this season by Green, coming as the left-handed batter turned on a 95.6 mph fastball that split home plate. Kemp is 8-for-16 with three homers and seven RBIs in six games against the Yankees this season.
“He’s just not missing pitches,” Green said. “If you get something in the zone that he’s looking for, he’s putting a good swing on it. I know he’s going to be aggressive right there. I was trying to make a quality pitch. It just didn’t work out.”
Sunday’s contest featured rare misplays by Gio Urshela and Matt Chapman, a pair of sure-handed third basemen. Oakland broke through in the fourth inning with an unearned run against left-hander Jordan Montgomery as Urshela booted a Chapman grounder and extended the inning. Urshela committed another error in the seventh inning.
“Just a rough day,” Boone said. “Gio is as good as it gets over there.”
Canha hit into a fielder’s choice that appeared to be an inning-ending double play -- many Yankees were already in the first-base dugout -- but was changed after replay review showed that Canha beat second baseman DJ LeMahieu’s throw, slowed by shortstop Tyler Wade’s underhand flip.
The Yankees punched back in the seventh, as Gary Sánchez walked and advanced on a wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Anthony Rizzo popped up into foul territory, but catcher Yan Gomes dropped the ball and extended Rizzo’s at-bat.
Rizzo took advantage, slicing the ninth pitch of the at-bat through Chapman’s legs as Sánchez trotted home to score the tying run.
Seeking support
Despite six strong innings, Montgomery’s season-long issues with run support continued. The left-hander has received only nine runs in his past 11 starts. With the Yanks held scoreless through five innings by right-hander Paul Blackburn, Montgomery scattered six hits while absorbing an unearned run.
“I feel like I’ve been doing the same thing all year,” Montgomery said. “Baseball kind of goes one way or the other sometimes. I’ve been executing a lot of pitches, moving consistently on the mound the same. Really, I’m just competing and trying to stay where I’m at, and keep the team in the game.”
Montgomery walked none and struck out three in an 83-pitch effort.
“Monty pitched great today,” Boone said. “I thought his stuff was really good. He was really efficient. He probably should have had two double play balls in that [fourth] inning that we weren’t able to turn. Stuff-wise, he had a little bit of everything going.”
Gift of grab
Oakland might have scored more if not for a splendid running catch by center fielder Brett Gardner, who ranged deep into the left-center field gap to steal an extra-base hit from Matt Olson in the fourth inning.
Statcast classified the catch as a five-star grab for Gardner, noting a 5% catch probability. Gardner covered 106 feet in 5.6 seconds to make the play.
“He came out of nowhere,” Boone said. “He was on the dead run as that ball was in the air. Really good breaks on the ball, good job of clean routes and throwing the glove up at the last second. He was pretty good out there today.”