The Athletics faced off against the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. The A’s came into this game fresh off a split squad sweep of the Angels and Dodgers yesterday. Jack Perkins took the mound to get the A’s started today. So far this spring he’s 1-2 in two starts with a 6.75 ERA. Perkins will face off against 24-year-old Rhett Lowder for the Reds.
The A’s quickly jumped out in front, scoring three runs before the first out was even recorded. Four hits, an error
and a sacrifice fly brought in four runs in the top half of the first against Lowder. But it didn’t take long for the Reds to strike back against Perkins with McClain leading off with a single and former A’s outfielder JJ Bleday homering to cut the lead in half 4-2.
Perkins lasted 2.2 innings this outing throwing fifty-eight pitches, thirty for strikes. While he only gave up two runs, he worked himself into jams each inning. In the top of the fourth, Cameron Leary doubled and Jeff McNeil rocked his first homer of the spring to extend the A’s lead to 6-2.
Luis Medina entered the game in the bottom of the fourth. He walked Ke’Bryan Hayes and Matt McClain to start the inning. But Garrett Hampson flied out, JJ Bleday struck out and Spencer Steer grounded into a force play to end the inning and the threat.
With Brooks Kriske on the mound in the bottom of the fifth, Nathaniel Lowe doubled and Noelvi Marte also doubled to drive in Lowe. That brought the score to 6-3 in favor of the Athletics.
The A’s got that run back and more in the top of the second. Michael Stefanic singled to lead off the inning. Max Muncy walked moving Stefanic to second. Luke Mann replaced Muncy and he and Stefanic executed a double steal moving to second and third. Jared Dickey singled, scoring Stefanic. Drew Swift and Jared Sprague-Lott each walked, driving in Mann. Midway through the seventh, the A’s led 9-3. A.J. Causey replaced Kriske in the bottom of the inning. Kriske went 2.0 innings giving up one earned run on two hits and a walk. He also struck out two.
Domingo Robles replaced Causey in the eighth inning after his scoreless seventh. Robles gave up a walk, a single and a hit batsman followed by and RBI sacrifice fly. Rece Hinds followed that with a three-run homer to bring the score to 9-7. That put an end to Robles’ day.
The final score was 9-7 for our A’s.
