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Athletics: Top Five Plays of the 2019 Season

By Zachary Engberg

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning of the American League Wild Card Game at RingCentral Coliseum on October 02, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning of the American League Wild Card Game at RingCentral Coliseum on October 02, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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5. Matt Olson home run & Ramon Laureano double, July 23 vs Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 23: Matt Olson #28 of the Oakland Athletics hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 23, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS – JULY 23: Matt Olson #28 of the Oakland Athletics hits a three-run home run in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on July 23, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

At this point in the season, the Oakland Athletics were 58-44, seven games back of the Astros and had gone 1-8 against Houston. Down 2-0 in the top of the ninth, in danger of setting up yet another sweep at the hands of the Astros, Matt Olson hit a three-run homer off of Roberto Osuna to take a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

As the Astros always do, they tied the game in the frame and sent it to extras, where the A’s bullpen held on until the 11th inning, when Ramon Laureano – who was in the middle of a July in which he slashed .392/.443/.838 with a 1.281 OPS, eight home runs, 22 runs scored, 18 RBIs and 17 XBH – hit an RBI ground-rule double that would give the A’s a 4-3 lead.

This was an eventful game for Ramon Laureano, who had earlier misplayed a ball in center field that ended up at the wall, allowing an inside-the-park home run for Yuli Gurriel.

This was yet another sign not only that Laureano was a gamer, but that the A’s could hang with the Astros, and hang with Houston they did, going 7-3 against the AL Champions from this game to their last matchup.