Final/14
Young hurlers meet up in Miami
Jun 28, 2014 - 2:27 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Two of the best young pitchers in baseball oppose one another on Saturday, as Sonny Gray and the Oakland Athletics continue a three- game set against Nathan Eovaldi and the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.Gray got a little extra rest after beating Texas on June 18 to snap a two- start losing streak. The 24-year-old hurler gave up two runs and six hits over seven innings in that one and improved to 7-3, while lowering his ERA to 2.91.
"He's going to have four starts before the break anyway," A's skipper Bob Melvin said. "It'll just back it up a little bit and give him a longer stretch in between his last start and his next one."
Eovaldi, meanwhile, has assumed the role of de facto ace for the Marlins in the wake of the devastating elbow injury to reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez and has responded well, going 5-3 with a 3.52 for the young Marlins.
After having given up 11 runs over his previous two starts Eovaldi held the Philadelphia Phillies scoreless over 6 1/3 innings on Monday to get the win.
"I think it's pretty easy to put those [poor starts] behind you," said Eovaldi.
Eovaldi used 56 pitches to dance around trouble and keep the Phils off the scoreboard. But he found his rhythm as the game progressed, and needed only 33 pitches to get through the next three frames.
"Later in the game, I was able to locate my fastball on both sides of the plate and get ahead with some offspeed pitches, so I think that was one of the main factors," Eovaldi said.
Oakland benefited from a replay reversal during a four-run ninth inning that pushed it past Miami, 9-5, in Friday's opener.
With the score tied at 5-5 in the top of the ninth, Giancarlo Stanton gobbled up Yoenis Cespedes' single to right and appeared to throw out Coco Crisp at the plate for the first out of the inning.
Replays, however, showed Crisp's right foot slid in just before Jeff Mathis' tag, and following a long review, the out call was overturned.
"It was a great slide on a guy with a cannon for an arm in the outfield," A's third baseman Josh Donaldson said.
Donaldson added his third RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly, while Stephen Vogt and Josh Reddick each drove in an insurance run with base hits.
Reddick recorded three of Oakland's 16 hits, while Luke Gregerson (2-1) stranded a runner in scoring position in the eighth to earn the win, the club's seventh in its last nine games.
The Marlins were forced to empty their bullpen when rookie starter Anthony DeSclafani exited due to a right forearm contusion after tossing three frames.
Closer Steve Cishek (4-3) was used in a tie game in the ninth and surrendered all four runs as the Marlins fell for seventh time in 10 games.
"I thought I made good pitches," Cishek said. "For some reason things just unraveled."
Despite Friday's loss the Marlins have won 13 of their last 15 interleague games.
- OAKLAND: 7
MIAMI: 6
Final/14
Jun 28 8:58 PM - Josh Donaldson singled to center scoring Brandon Moss. Runner on first with two outs and Jed Lowrie due up.
Athletics 7, Marlins 6 Top 14, 2 OutsJun 28 8:37 PM - Casey McGehee singled to right-center scoring Giancarlo Stanton. Runner on first with one out and Garrett Jones due up.
Athletics 6, Marlins 6 Bot 9, 1 OutJun 28 7:16 PM - Alberto Callaspo singled to center scoring Jed Lowrie. Runner on first with one out and Fernando Abad due up.
Athletics 6, Marlins 5 Top 8, 1 OutJun 28 6:41 PM - Brandon Moss struck out swinging, catcher to first. On the play, Coco Crisp scored with two out. Runner on second and Josh Donaldson due up.
Athletics 5, Marlins 5 Top 5, 2 OutsJun 28 5:45 PM - Garrett Jones grounded out to first scoring Derek Dietrich with two out. On the play, Casey McGehee advances to second and Giancarlo Stanton advances to third. Runners on second and third and Marcell Ozuna due up.
Athletics 4, Marlins 5 Bot 4, 2 OutsJun 28 5:30 PM - Giancarlo Stanton singled to left scoring Reed Johnson with one out. On the play, Derek Dietrich advances to second. Runners on first and second and Casey McGehee due up.
Athletics 4, Marlins 4 Bot 4, 1 OutJun 28 5:26 PM - Reed Johnson doubled to left scoring Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Donovan Solano with one out. On the play, Nathan Eovaldi advances to third. Runners on second and third and Derek Dietrich due up.
Athletics 4, Marlins 3 Bot 2, 1 OutJun 28 4:52 PM - Donovan Solano singled to right scoring Marcell Ozuna with one out. On the play, Jarrod Saltalamacchia advances to second. Runners on first and second and Nathan Eovaldi due up.
Athletics 4, Marlins 1 Bot 2, 1 OutJun 28 4:49 PM - Alberto Callaspo singled to left scored Jed Lowrie. On the play, Josh Reddick advances to third. Runners on first and third with two outs and Sonny Gray due up.
Athletics 4, Marlins 0 Top 1, 2 OutsJun 28 4:25 PM - Jed Lowrie grounded into a fielder's choice, short to second scored Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss out at second. Runner on first with two outs and Josh Reddick due up.
Athletics 3, Marlins 0 Top 1, 2 OutsJun 28 4:22 PM - Brandon Moss singled to center scored Coco Crisp and John Jaso. On the play, Yoenis Cespedes advances to second. Runners on first and second with none out and Josh Donaldson due up.
Athletics 2, Marlins 0 Top 1, 0 OutsJun 28 4:17 PM - OAKLAND: 0
MIAMI: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Jun 28 4:11 PM
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