Tyler Soderstrom hits first MLB-home run in Los Angeles, A's swept by Dodgers
Finding out the Oakland Athletics lost a baseball game isn't even remotely surprising this season. The A's, in fact, lost their fourth consecutive game and dropped their third to the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Thursday on their way to getting swept.
That's no bueno, and even worse is the record: 30-80 entering the second half of the Bay Bridge Series against the San Francisco Giants this weekend following Friday's off-day.
There were some positive news coming out of Los Angeles on Thursday, though, as the rookies kept putting on solid outings.
Zack Attack 💥 pic.twitter.com/vdJfQRdcQZ
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 4, 2023
First, Zack Gelof cut the Dodgers' lead in half in the bottom of the sixth frame when he bagged a solo homer to put the A's on the board.
Then, fellow pro-freshman Tyler Soderstrom hit his first major-league home run for the proud Oakland Ballclub. That's correct, his first ever homer under the flashy lights of Hollywood!
Soder-strong 💪
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) August 4, 2023
First @MLB homer for @tylersode! pic.twitter.com/sDLMsXtHBB
As great a sight as that one was, what is ridiculous is the fact that the A's, somehow, some way, scored all of their runs through the series against the Dodgers via home run.
Just for context, the A's have bagged 104 homers this season, the seventh-fewest in the 2023 MLB. The Dodgers' pitchers have allowed 121, a bottom-half-of-the-majors mark. Sometimes, folks, baseball doesn't make any sense at all.
Back to Soderstrom, it took the rookie 14 MLB games to hit his first home run. That's definitely nothing remarkable by historic standards, but it's actually not that bad, either!
I have just checked the numbers provided by Stathead, and Soderstrom is one of only, hmm..., an infinite number of players to hit for his first home run before reaching the 15-game plateau. But hey, he's only the third one having done it this season!
And also, even more promisingly, he's just the 452nd all-time among players to play defensively behind the plate! That must mean something, doesn't it!?
Yay, Sod!
See you on Saturday. And "Sell the Team," John Fisher, that hasn't changed.
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