The Oakland Athletics lost 6-4 and for the ninth consecutive time to Houston Astros on Friday in a losing streak that spans way beyond the start of the 2023 season.
After 100 games this year, the A's are sitting at a (not so) pretty 27-73 record, they are on pace to finish the season with a 44-118 record, and they are currently bound to beat the Detroit Tigers to the doubtful title of Worst Team Ever in the (modern) History of Major League Baseball.
As is often the case, the day started with bad news already hitting the Athletics headquarters as manager Mark Kotsay was informed Brent Rooker would need to be scratched from the lineup with an illness. Whether that's a real "illness" or Rooker making it to trade negotiations ahead of the deadline... you be the judge!
This is Shintaro Fujinami’s first pitch as a Baltimore Orioles reliever. For many A’s fans, this might not be surprising. #Athletics #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/CsYBRnbDou
— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) July 22, 2023
The bad news kept coming, with Baltimore Orioles' freshest reliever Shintaro Fujinami and getting absolutely embarrassed in his debut with the Maryland club. Yes, that's one pitch, one homer, and one run allowed by Fuji.
Not that the A's did much better at stopping players for bagging bangers on a random Friday, mind you.
Oakland allowed Kyle Tucker to tag them three times over seven innings driving in four runs for the Astros ballclub. Tucker became, according to ESPN, the "third Houston Astros player with a three-homer game over the past 15 seasons."
Tony Kemp discusses his recent hot streak and wanting to finish strong for the fans in potentially his final season with Oakland pic.twitter.com/BEw9QVZ0PF
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) July 22, 2023
Tony Kemp, who might have his days with the organization numbered and ending on August's trade deadline, did his thing by going 2-for-4 on Friday with a double and two runs scored. He will become a free agent next winter, so hey, it's not that even if the A's don't trade him they won't lose him anyway sooner rather than later.
Zack Gelof was good for a hit, as were all of Jordan Diaz (two RBI, one walk on top of the hit), Shea Langeliers (one walk), Nick Allen, and Cody Thomas.
Seth Brown, who got to start on Friday following Rooker's absence, went 0-for-4 at the plate striking out twice. The lad is batting .196 this season. The A's have won 27 games through 100 of them played. Go figure.
A bases-loaded walk by Jordan Diaz was the play that brought Oakland closer to a 5-1 leading Astros, making it 5-2 with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. At the bottom of the sixth frame, the A's were somehow only one run short of tying the affair, down 5-4.
Tucker's final homer put the 6-4 on the board and sealed the deal for the seemingly unstoppable Astros. Unstoppable for the A's, at the very least.
JP Sears go the loss and is now 1-7 in his starts this season. That's already a much better record than Oakland has against Houston in their past nine games, spanning both the end of 2022 and 2023 to date: 0-9. Uh, oh.
In fact, the A's have only won a game against Houston in their last 15 matchups, which is as ridiculously impossible as it sounds but also as real as the fact that you're reading this right now.
With two more games between both clubs, on Saturday and Sunday, odds are the A's wrap up the week looking at a 23-75 record as the L's against the Astros will most probably keep coming the Oakland Coli way. What can we say...