OAKLAND – Joey Estes allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings and the Oakland Athletics scored 4 times within the fourth inning in a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, avoiding a sweep of the three-game series.

Estes (6-6) held the Brewers, who had scored 20 runs in the primary two games of the series, to simply two hits while allowing five strikeouts and a walk. Mason Miller recorded his twenty first save of the season when he entered the sport with two outs within the eighth inning and a one-run lead.

Estes, 22, said he placed his fastball effectively and his sweeper worked well as well.

“I feel like I was able to change the eye level a little bit and mess up the count,” Estes said.

Brewers starter Frankie Montas (6-9) gave the A's the lead in the primary three innings, but Oakland broke through within the fourth inning, scoring 4 runs when the primary five batters reached base.

“Our offense has struggled to score throughout the home game,” A's manager Mark Kotsay said, “so today was a great day because the pitchers took good care of us.”

Trailing 2-0, Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday opened the inning with consecutive singles. Shea Langeliers walked with the bases loaded, Seth Brown tied the sport with a single, then Daz Cameron and Zack Gelof hit back-to-back sacrifice flies to offer the A's a 4-2 lead.

“We couldn't string those hits together or build those innings like we did today in the fourth,” Kotsay said. “Coming out of the All-Star break, we've done a better job of not just relying on the home run to win games. So that's a part of the offense that we talk about, that we work on (in batting practice) … and it's a good feeling to see it executed.”

Gary Sánchez hit a two-run homer for the Brewers within the second inning. Willy Adames cut Oakland's result in 4-3 with a solo home run within the seventh inning.

Montas was a pitcher for the A's from 2017 to 2022 and finished sixth within the 2021 Cy Young voting with 13 wins.

“After we went up 2-0, we didn't get the ball moving properly,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “If you don't do that, you lose games in the major leagues.”

The A's, who will play Sacramento next season before moving to Las Vegas in 2028, drew 15,961 spectators to the Coliseum.

Montas, who received a game ball after the sport, said it was “special” to pitch on the Coliseum one last time.

“I had my best season here at the Coliseum,” Montas said. “It will definitely always have a place in my heart.”

TRAINING ROOM

Athletics: IF Tyler Soderstrom (left wrist) will increase his hitting this week. … IF Jacob Wilson (left hamstring strain) must have one other rehab outing at Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday and can be evaluated after the sport, based on manager Mark Kotsay. … LHP Scott Alexander (left rotator cuff inflammation) worked a bullpen session Saturday and will face live hitters this week.

Next

Athletics: Oakland travels to Cincinnati to face the Reds in a three-game series starting Tuesday. RHP Mitch Spence (7-9, 4.67 ERA) is scheduled to begin the primary game.

Originally published: August 25, 2024 at 16:06

OAKLAND — There have been eight no-hitters thrown within the A's 57-year history in Oakland. On Wednesday night, Joey Estes fell nine outs in need of throwing one other — and possibly final — no-hitter for the franchise leaving town.

Estes, making just his eighth profession appearance, was perfect against the American West-leading Seattle Mariners until JP Crawford hit his first pitch off the middle field wall for a double within the seventh inning. Four relievers, including closer Mason Miller, who earned a save with five outs, helped secure the A's 2-1 victory before a crowd of 9,735 on Dollar Hot Dog Night on the Coliseum.

Fans gave the 22-year-old right-hander a round of applause after his try and throw the A's first no-hitter since Mike Fiers in May 2019 was thwarted by the Mariners' leadoff man.

“You kind of know what's happening, but nothing changes,” Estes said. “It's the same game. I guess you kind of see it, but it doesn't eat me up.”

It was the longest perfect game by an A's rookie since Brett Anderson held the Angels runnerless for six 2/3 innings on July 19, 2009.

Second baseman Zack Gelof continued to shake off his slow start by extending his hitting streak to 6 – and giving Estes and Co. the one runs they needed with a third-inning home run off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert. It was Gelof's fifth home run of the season, but second in three games.

The A's took a 2-0 lead within the fifth inning after Daz Cameron hit a single, moved to 3rd on a wild pickoff throw from Gilbert to first base, and scored on a passed ball a couple of pitches later.

That became an enormous run when Mariners star centerfielder Julio Rodriguez hit a 102 mph fastball from Miller over the middle field wall to open the highest of the ninth inning. After a walk brought the potential tying run to first base, Miller struck out Ty France and ended the sport by getting Victor Robles to hit a double play.

Estes joined the A's newly formed rotation in early May and was 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA in his first 4 starts. But the right-hander had limited the Rays to 2 hits and one run in five innings in his previous start. Estes, who was signed to the Braves within the Matt Olson deal ahead of the 2022 season together with catcher Shea Langeliers, outfielder Cristian Pache and pitcher Ryan Cusick, was even higher against the Mariners.

Estes needed just 70 pitches to get through the Mariners' lineup twice unscathed before Crawford's first pitch hit a fastball out of reach of Cameron, the A's right fielder, and past the bottom of the outfield wall.

“If it's a little shorter than a pop fly, that's an out,” Estes said. “But he could have gotten it and it could have gone even further, so it's just one of those things where you just have to trust your throws. I can only control what happens after I throw the ball.”

Estes retired the subsequent batter, Josh Rojas, but was then faraway from the sport by manager Mark Kotsay after throwing just 78 pitches, leaving Austin Adams to face Rodriguez.

“He's such a fighter,” Kotsay said of Estes. “It's hard to take the ball away from him in that situation, but Julio had hit a ball to center in his second at-bat. There's no point in leaving it in and giving him a chance to not get a win. The way Adam is playing, I felt really good about it.”

Adams walked Rodriguez six times and hit France with a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but TJ McFarland got Mitch Garver to hit a 3-2 pitch on a groundout to shortstop Max Schuemann to finish the threat and keep the Mariners scoreless.

Estes ended up allowing only one hit and striking out five in 6 ⅓ innings, dropping his ERA to 4.67. It was the third time in five starts this season that he didn’t allow a walk.

Estes struck out five of the primary nine batters he faced, and the Mariners didn't really put a single ball in play until Cal Raleigh hit a pointy line drive to center fielder JJ Bleday within the fifth inning for the primary out.

One batter later, the possibility of an ideal game was tested again when France hit a chopper in front of the plate that Langeliers caught after which threw to the primary baseman for the second out. With one out within the sixth inning, first baseman JD Davis stopped Dominic Canzone's sharp grounder with a diving catch and threw it to Estes, who got to base in front of the Mariners' right fielder.

Kotsay said Estes' performance – and his potential profession path – reminds him of Tim Hudson, one in all Oakland's famous Big Three starters within the early 2000s.

“That was literally going through my mind tonight when I saw him go out and pitch,” Kotsay said. “The way he pitched, the aggressiveness of his fastball, the attacks on the batters. Huddy was that kind of pitcher.”

– The A's finish three games against the Mariners on Thursday at 12:37 p.m.

JP Sears, the A's only starter who hasn't missed a start because the starting of last season, faces Bryan Woo.

With the A's moving to Sacramento after this season, Woo will likely be the last Oakland-born pitcher to begin on the Coliseum, barring a trade or other transaction later within the season.

By CHRIS TALBOTT (Associated Press)

SEATTLE (AP) — Rookie starter Joey Estes had five hits in five solid innings after being called up for his first major league win earlier within the day, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Saturday night.

Abraham Toro and Brent Rooker hit two-run, run-scoring singles within the third inning to provide Oakland a 2-1 lead. Max Schuemann added a three-run double within the eighth and JJ Bleday hit a two-run home run within the ninth as Oakland snapped a two-game losing streak. The A's had lost five of six after a six-game winning streak.

Estes took a liner off his right bicep from Julio Rodríguez in the primary inning, but collected the ball for the primary pitch and waved to the coach as he took the mound back.

“They knew he was locked up when Julio's line drive lost his biceps, and I didn't realize it,” said A's manager Mark Kotsay. “That kid, I don't know how to describe him really. You do a line drive like that from your biceps, and if the trainers don't come out, you don't want it to be recognized. He got into the dugout and when we finally got to him he was already swollen.”

Cal Raleigh hit his tenth home run, a solo shot within the second inning that gave Seattle a 1-0 lead. But Estes calmed down and after that it was all about athletics.

The A's starters had allowed 55 runs within the last six games, including an 8-1 loss to the Mariners on Friday night, before Estes (1-0) was called up to switch fifth starter Joe Boyle (back injury). He gave up two hits and didn't rating on 61 pitches.

“This is great,” Estes said after a little bit of bullying within the shower room. “I've worked my whole life to be able to say I got a win, so I'll definitely cherish that.”

Bryce Miller (3-3) threw nine strikeouts and allowed five hits, but began the costly third inning with certainly one of his two walks to Lawrence Butler. The speedy right fielder moved to second on Brett Harris' single and scored on Toro's single to right field. Rooker's shot to the correct gave Harris a 2-1 lead.

The Mariners had beaten the A's in 13 of their last 14 games for the reason that start of the 2023 season. They have lost three of their last 4 and 4 of six. Seattle had gone 12-1 in Miller's last 13 good starts.

Relievers Mitch Spence, Austin Adams, Lucas Erceg and Michael Kelly combined to provide up one hit in the ultimate 4 innings. Seattle had just three hits and left only one runner on base.

“Early in the series, Oakland improved significantly,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “They have a different ball club. They’ve strengthened their bullpen and they have guys who can put the ball in play.”

SCHUEMANN'S REVENGE

The Mariners intentionally walked Shea Langeliers to get to Schuemann within the eighth and cargo the bases for the shortstop.

“Of course I was a little upset,” said Schuemann. “I saw it as a kind of motivational thing. On my first swing, I made as much swing as I could, you know? And then I thought, “Okay, I need to calm down.”

He then sent the ball into the left field corner to place the play out of reach.

RALEIGH'S BIG BAT

Raleigh is the primary AL catcher to hit 10 or more home runs in his team's first 40 games since Jorge Posada of the Yankees in 2003. Three NL catchers have achieved this feat in the identical time-frame.

Squad changes

The A's optioned LHP Easton Lucas to Triple-A Las Vegas once they recalled Estes to begin.

NEXT

Athletics: LHP Alex Wood (1-2, 5.30) ends the series. He is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last three starts.

Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-5, 3.54) is first within the AL and fourth within the majors with 56 strikeouts.

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