CLEVELAND – The A’s saved perhaps their worst performance of the season to date for the finale of a road trip through New York and Cleveland, stumbling and bumbling their way to an 8-0 loss to the Tribe that had to be seen to be believed.
This one had it all – three errors, a handful of plays not made, three umpire challenges that all went against Oakland, virtually no A’s offensive output (three hits) and the usual tonnage (17) of strikeouts as the A’s fell to 23-30 at the end of a 2-5 trip.
A’s starter Jharel Cotton deserved better, but he fell behind in the third inning when his first hit allowed, a double, was followed by a passed ball and a wild pitch that left Oakland in a 1-0 hole that was, on this day at least, not surmountable.