A’s shut down by Flaherty in Dodgers debut as Ohtani joins 30-30 club
By JOSH DUBOW
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The A’s hitters couldn’t get a beat on Jack Flaherty in his Dodgers debut as they lost to Los Angeles 10-0 on Saturday night.
“Any time you can help the team win, that’s the important part of it,” Flaherty said. “I’ll take the time tonight to let it soak it all in. I’m just excited to be here and have a chance to contribute.”
The A’s had won 10 of 14 games with 31 homers before being shut down by Flaherty and the Los Angeles bullpen in front of an announced crowd of 35,207 that was the biggest this season at the Coliseum.
Shohei Ohtani stole three bases for Los Angeles to give him 31 on the season to go with his 33 homers. This is just the fourth time a Dodgers player reached the 30-30 club in a season and only three players in the majors doing it faster than Ohtani, who accomplished it in the 111th game of the season. Eric Davis was the fastest to do it in 1987 when he reached it in Cincinnati’s 105th game.
Flaherty (8-5) had the biggest night in his first game since being acquired on Tuesday in a deadline deal from Detroit. He paid immediate dividends for a struggling Dodgers team that had lost five of six games before he took the mound in Oakland.
He allowed five hits, one walk and struck out five in an impressive performance. He ended his night by escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth by inducing two groundouts and a strikeout.
“I think we all were excited to see Jack take the mound and don his Dodgers uniform,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He showed out really well. There was a quiet intensity to him. He was very focused, very controlled. I just loved the way he used his entire pitch mix.”
Manager Mark Kotsay said the missed opportunity in the sixth was the key point in the game and pointed to a 2-0 pitch to Seth Brown with one out that was called a strike even though replay showed it was low and away. Brown struck out.
“It was clearly a ball,” Kotsay said of the pitch with his team trailing by two runs. “That changed the outcome of the at-bat. It really changed the at-bat. It’s a 3-0 count with Brownie up. You never know what it does, but it definitely gives the hitter the advantage.”
The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth to make the final score a blowout.
The Dodgers starters had combined for a 5.88 ERA over the previous 28 games — second worst in the majors in that span, contributing to the move to acquire Flaherty.
Gavin Lux gave Flaherty the lead in the third inning with a two-run single off Mitch Spence (7-7), leading the Dodgers to their second win in seven games on this road trip. Los Angeles now holds a 4 1/2-game lead in the NL West over San Diego.
Ohtani stole two bases in the ninth and the Dodgers broke the game open with six runs to make it 10-0, setting the stage for position player Kiké Hernandez to finish the game with a scoreless inning of relief for Los Angeles.
ON THE FARM
Dodgers prospect Cameron Decker had a night to remember on Friday. Decker had six hits and 10 RBIs for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in a 17-5 win over San Jose in the California League. No other minor leaguer has had at least six hits and 10 RBIs in a game as far back as single-game records go to 2005.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (right tricep tightness) threw a 20-pitch bullpen session in what manager Dave Roberts called a “big step.” Yamamoto will have another session on Tuesday. “We’re moving in the right direction,” Roberts said. … INF/OF Mookie Betts (fractured left hand) is aiming to return to the lineup on Aug. 12 or 13.
Athletics: All-Star closer Mason Miller had the cast removed for his broken left pinky and played catch before the game. He is set to throw live batting practice Monday. … RHP Dany Jiménez (left oblique strain) threw a live BP Saturday and will join Triple-A Las Vegas for a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
RHP River Ryan (1-0, 0.82 ERA) starts the series finale for the Dodgers against RHP Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 5.00).