This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Cavan Biggio broke a third-inning tie with an RBI single, five relievers combined for 13 outs of scoreless ball and the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a series win over the host Oakland Athletics with a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon.
In a game in which all the scoring took place in the first three innings, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Alex Vesia (2-3), Daniel Hudson and Anthony Banda shut the door on the A’s, preserving a one-run lead with every pitch they made.
Biggio’s hit came with two outs in the third after Jason Heyward singled against A’s starter Osvaldo Bido (2-3) and took second on a fielding error by right fielder Lawrence Butler. Biggio was thrown out at second on the play to end the inning.
Phillips got the Los Angeles bullpen rolling with a four-pitch appearance, but they might have been the four biggest pitches of the game. Relieving rookie River Ryan, he struck out A’s slugger Brent Rooker to end the bottom of the fifth with runners at second and third.
Ryan had pitched the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He walked three and struck out four.
Oakland’s only hit off the Los Angeles bullpen came in the sixth against Treinen on Abraham Toro’s two-out fly ball that center fielder Kevin Kiermaier lost in the sun. It was scored as a double.
Treinen then struck out Zack Gelof to strand the potential tying run at second.
Vesia, Hudson and Banda then combined to retire all nine batters they faced, striking out four, with Banda recording his first save of the season.
Each team scored twice in the first.
Coming off a 10-0 win Saturday that evened the series at 1-1, the Dodgers got the early jump in the finale when Enrique Hernandez stroked a two-out, two-run double. The hit scored Teoscar Hernandez, who also had doubled, and Gavin Lux, who had walked.
Rooker got the A’s even in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer, his 28th, also scoring JJ Bleday.
Enrique Hernandez, who finished Saturday’s game as the Los Angeles pitcher, had two doubles for the Dodgers, who completed a 3-5 trip.
Miguel Andujar collected a pair of singles for the A’s, who matched the visitors in hits, 6-6.
Bido was charged with three runs (two earned) on six hits in his six innings. He walked three and struck out six.
–Field Level Media
