I attended this game at Progressive Field, and remember it as being a frustrating one most of the game. The A’s took a 2-0 lead on Christian Bethancourt’s homer in the second, and the Guards did little until the Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor woke the crowd up with back-to-back homers leading off the fourth. After Konnor Pilkington got the first two outs in the sixth, a Bethancourt single (he’d go for 3-4 with a double as well) and Elvis Andrus double chased Pilkington. The gentleman sitting in front of me noticed that I had been peaking at the bullpen several times and expressed displeasure when I told him Bryan Shaw was coming in, predicting a double. He was right as Matt Davidson hit one to deep center to put Oakland up 4-2.
The Guards plated a run in the bottom of the inning, but Terry Francona was ejected arguing for obstruction when Steven Kwan was pinned at second on Naylor’s lineout. Kwan would single in the seventh to tie it, and then Cleveland rallied for four off of Lou Trivino in the eighth to win it 8-4. Cleveland’s rookies played a huge part in this one; Pilkington’s start was just adequate, but Kwan went 3-4 with a walk, steal, and RBI, Oscar Gonzalez went 4-4 with a double, run, and RBI, and Richie Palacios’ pinch-hit two-run double in the eighth broke it open.
