Game 4 Recap Athletics @ Yankees

Roland Michener

Thanks to the players and family for braving the cool damp weather and playing five innings of great baseball. Despite coming out on the short end of a 14-7 decision, this was a total team effort, with all the players contributing.

Ethan got the call to start tonight’s game, limiting the A’s to a single run in the top of the first.  His team-mates backed him up with some strong defense.  The A’s looked to lead off the inning with a bloop single to right, but Ben showed incredible range as he made an over the shoulder catch in shallow right field.  Isaac scooped up a ball hit to third for a force out and then Sam S. snagged a fly ball to shortstop to close the inning.

Finley led off the bottom of the first with a hit straight up the middle that bounced off the second base bag and into the outfield. Ethan followed that up with a single, but the A’s pitcher mowed down the next three batters to end the threat.

Finley found himself in a bases loaded situation in the top of the second before he settled down, racking up his first strike out of the inning.  Daniel made a game effort on a fly ball to center, but it dropped for a pair of runs.  Finley shrugged that off and notched his second strike-out, but another dropped ball and a single tiled the game in the Athletics favour.  Finley responded with another K to keep the game close.  Nice to see Finley settling down and getting stronger and more confident as the inning progressed,

The Yankees fought back in the bottom of the second with some timely hitting and aggressive base running.  Ben popped ball to the third base side which dropped fair and held on tightly to the baseline.  Sam S. Followed with a single of his own setting the stage for Brandon to knock in two runs, easily scoring Ben while Sam was waved home, narrowly beating the throw home.

Finley’s single advanced Brandon to third.  Brandon manufactured a run for his team by taking a turn at third, drawing a wild throw to third base that allowed him to score and Finley to move up to second.  Ken singled to tighten the score to 5-4.

Isaac dominated the top of the third, ringing up a strike-out to start the inning and then after Ben hauled in a fly ball to third Isaac pounced on a grounder back to the mound and flipped the ball to Finley for the third out.  Kai and Ben’s back-to-back hits tied the score in the bottom of the third, but the A’s quickly struck out the next two batters to keep the game knotted at 5 after three innings.

The fourth inning was less kind to Isaac as the baseball found the cracks in the outfield.  A lead-off triple was followed by two singles and then Zach L. Made the drawn in outfielders pay for poor positioning as he launched one deep to center-field, racing around the bases for a three-run home-run.  With the pitch-count rising, Daniel took the mound in relief.  The A’s managed to load the bases, but Daniel responded with some timely strike-outs to keep the Yankees in striking distance.  However, the top of the order could do no damage, sending the game to the 5^th inning.  

Kai put in a solid performance in the top of the 5^th, but the A’s started to pull away.  Ben made a try for a double play on a grounder to short, forcing the first out at second, but his throw was too late to catch a speedy runner at first.  Kai responded with a strike-out for the second out, but the A’s picked away a run at a time to seal the victory. After two quick outs Kai beat out a base hit, scoring on Ben’s  triple to deep left field.  Ben was grateful for a dropped ball as the fielder tried to tag him out on his way to third.  Sam S. Singled to bring Ben home but could not escape the strong fielding by the Athletics as they turned Brandon’s drive into the final out of the game.

The extra work that the players have been putting in is starting to show.  Tonight was a true team effort and there were lots of positives to build on.  Congratulations to everybody for a fun game despite the weather trying to dampen our spirits.