OAKLAND — Kendall Graveman picked up right where he left off from his previous start, and the A’s claimed a much-needed series victory Wednesday afternoon.
Graveman backed up his first major league shutout by holding Cleveland to one run over 6 2/3 innings as the A’s beat the Indians 5-1 on a sun-drenched afternoon at the Coliseum. It marked the first series won by the A’s since they took three of four from the Orioles on Aug. 8-11.
His performance also continued the theme of shutdown starting pitching for Oakland this series. Andrew Triggs, Sean Manaea and Graveman combined to hold the AL Central leaders to two earned runs over 19 2/3 innings.
The A’s crammed all of their offensive damage into the second inning, when they struck for five runs on five hits against right-hander Trevor Bauer (9-6). The A’s are still just 8-17 over their last 25 contests, but after a road trip that featured controversy involving Coco Crisp’s displeasure over playing time and a clubhouse fight between Danny Valencia and Billy Butler, the A’s turned this short three-game homestand into a positive.
Starting pitching report: Graveman (10-8) scattered six hits over 6 2/3 innings, walked two and struck out two. He became a 10-game winner for the first time and lowered his ERA to 3.97. The lone run off him came on Roberto Perez’s homer in the seventh, a drive to right that hit off the top of the wall and was originally ruled in play. Perez had stopped at first with a single. But the umpires gathered to discuss it and changed it to a home run. That was confirmed after a replay review, and Graveman’s streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings came to an end.
Bullpen report: Marc Rzepczynski, Ryan Dull and Ryan Madson ensured Cleveland wouldn’t mount a comeback.
At the plate: The A’s strung hits together off Bauer to jump out to an early lead in the second. Khris Davis triple off the wall in right got things started. He scored on Ryon Healy’s single. Max Muncy also had an RBI single and Chad Pinder delivered a sacrifice fly. Two more runs came home when Indians first baseman Carlos Santana battled the sun and couldn’t haul in Danny Valencia’s pop fly. It was originally ruled a two-run single but was later changed to an error, taking away the two RBI.
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In the field: No errors from the A’s in this one. First baseman Yonder Alonso made a great leaping catch Jose Ramirez’s liner in the eighth.
Attendance: The announced turnout was 12,795.
Up next: The A’s travel tomorrow and will begin a three-game interleague series Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, who are currently in line for one of the National League’s two Wild Card berths. In Friday’s 5:15 p.m. opener, Ross Detwiler (1-2, 5.91) matches up against Luke Weaver (0-1, 5.00). Zach Neal (2-3, 5.49) and Mike Leake (9-9, 4.56) take the mound Saturday at 4:15. Then Sunday’s 11:15 a.m. finale sends Andrew Triggs (0-1, 4.38) to the mound against lefty Jaime Garcia (10-9, 4.37). CSN California will carry all three games.
