A's Make History in Come-From-Behind Win
The Minnesota Twins held a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth and were threatening for more with runners on the corners and two down. After back-to-back hits off Lucas Erceg, A's manager Mark Kotsay decided to go to his bullpen to bring in Sean Newcomb, who made history.
With two outs, Sean Newcomb recorded an out via pick-off, nabbing Austin Martin at first aftera brief rundown play, but did not officially face a batter (he threw two pitches). According to the A's Baseball Information Manager Mike Selleck, this is the first time in A's history that a pitcher has recorded a win without officially facing a batter. This is just the 27th time since 1901 that the feat has occurred. The last time it happened was in 2020 when Giants reliever Tony Watson pulled off the feat.
Sean Newcomb is the first pitcher in Athletics history to be credited with a win without facing a batter
— Mike Selleck (@MikeSelleck) June 22, 2024
For reference, there have been 24 perfect games in MLB history and that is one of the rarest feats that can be achieved on a diamond. Newcomb's two-pitch outing wasn't nearly as taxing, but is nearly as rare.
The A's ended up winning the game, thanks in part to Newcomb's pick-off, which Mark Kotsay said swung some momentum the A's way. After Tyler Soderstrom (2-for-2, career-high 3 RBI) was hit by a pitch from Twins closer Jhoan Duran to begin the bottom of the eighth, Shea Langeliers unloaded on the first pitch he saw, a splitter up on the inside part of the zone.
The A's catcher said after his latest heroic feat, "I was just trying to shrink my zone as much as possible and get a pitch I could my A swing on. Against a guy like [Duran], I have to be aggressive early. Can't give him two strikes."
Mark Kotsay said of his catcher's swing, "He's been working really hard to keep the barrel above the baseball. Bushie [Darren Bush] and I slow-moed (watched in slow motion) that in the dugout on the iPad and it was a perfect swing."
Coming into the game, five of the A's last seven losses had been by one run, and five of their last eight losses had come in the team's final at-bat. On Friday night in front of 9,158 fans at the Coliseum, it was the A's turn to flip that script and get just a little bit of revenge after the Twins swept the A's in four games in Minnesota last weekend.
JASON BURKE
Jason is the host of the Locked on A's podcast, and the managing editor of Inside the A's. He's a new father and can't wait to take his son to his first baseball game at the Coliseum.