Oakland A’s sweep two-game set with Arizona behind a hot Jed Lowrie

After a crucial series win over the Astros, the Oakland A’s swept the D-backs in a two-game interleague series. With 16 runs scored in the two games, the A’s bats were hot as they hit .307 in the two games.

Game 1: Oakland 9, Arizona 5

Oakland won decisively 9-5 on Monday led by a 3-for-5 night by Matt Chapman and a 2-for-4 night by Jed Lowrie.

Mark Canha led off the top of the first with a double and stole third when Ramon Laureano struck out. This gave Oakland an opportunity. Lowrie grounded out, but got the run in to make it 1-0.

On the bump, Chris Bassitt pitched around early trouble to keep off Arizona off the scoreboard.

In the top of the third inning with two runners on and no outs, Lowrie saw another opportunity to drive in runs. With a first-pitch cutter from Madison Bumgarner, Lowrie deposited it in left field for a two-run double to make it 3-0 Oakland.

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Two walks and two singles gave Arizona two runs to shrink the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the third.

Oakland added three runs in the top of the fifth with one out, Laureano walked and Lowrie singled. With a steal of third and a throwing error, Laureano scored. Matt Olson hit a sacrifice fly to push it to 5-2. Chapman launched a solo bomb that added another run for the A’s.

Arizona clawed back in the bottom of the sixth as relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit surrendered a leadoff triple which eventually gave Arizona another run to make it 6-3. The D-backs scratched out two more in the bottom of the seventh off J.B. Wendelken to make it a close 6-5.

After a one-out double from Stephen Piscotty in the top of the eighth, Oakland had a  chance to pull away. Elvis Andrus singled to give the Oakland A’s a 7-5 lead.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, Chapman singled home another run before coming around to score on a double from Sean Murphy to push the lead 9-5, which was the eventual final as Oakland took game one.

Lowrie and Chapman combined for a 5-for-9 day, four runs, and five RBIs as the three and five hitters carried the offense to their third-straight win.

Game 2: Oakland 7, Arizona 5

In a remarkable comeback, the Oakland A’s erased a five-run deficit and stunned Arizona to win 7-5 and sweep the series Tuesday evening.

A’s starter Jesus Luzardo struggled on the mound as he only pitched 2.2 innings and surrendered five runs on six hits, two walks, and only one strikeout.

Oakland managed to score one in the top of the fourth via a solo bomb from Piscotty, the A’s third hit of the contest, to narrow the deficit 5-1.

Relief pitcher Deolis Guerra held the D-backs in check behind 3.0 innings of one-hit ball with five K’s and no walks.

In the top of the seventh, the A’s bats came alive as they clawed back in the game. While Andrus struck out to lead off the inning, Aramis Garcia singled, Mitch Moreland singled, and Canha singled as well that made it 5-2. Lowrie stepped in with two outs and pushed one over the wall for a game-tying three-run homer.

Seth Brown launched his second career homer in the top of the eighth to give the A’s their first lead of the game 6-5. With a run-scoring triple from Chapman in the top of the ninth the A’s lead 7-5, and completed the comeback on Arizona to sweep the two-game set.

With a 4-for-8 performance in the two games and six RBIs, Lowrie powered the A’s offense. Going 11-for-27 in the past seven games with 10 RBIs and seven runs scored, there’s no doubt Lowrie is hot at the plate.

Oakland turns their attention to the Detroit Tigers in a four-game series set to start Thursday with first pitch at 6:40 p.m. EST.

For coverage of this series and all things Oakland A’s, run to White Cleat Beat!