In a season that’s featured all forms of gut-wrenching defeats, the A’s broke new ground Tuesday night.
They took a two-run lead in the top of the 10th, only to give up three runs in the bottom half, with Marc Rzepczynski hitting Rougned Odor with the bases loaded to force in the winning run as the Texas Rangers claimed a 5-4 victory. Manager Bob Melvin had just ordered Adrian Beltre intentionally walked to move the winning run to third, in order to not allow Beltre the A’s killer to win the game with his bat.
That gamble backfired as Rzepczynski hit the left-handed hitting Odor in the right shoulder with his first pitch.