Even on days when the offense starts slowly, it never feels like the A’s are offside in the final innings with their firepower up and down the lineup. As catcher Sean Murphy demonstrated on Sunday, only one swing is needed.
An A offense that was thwarted by Tigers left-hander Matthew Boyd for most of the day was finally ripped off by Murphy’s explosion on the plate. His only game draw shot Boyd in the eighth – Murphy’s first of the year – ignited a late concentration for the A’s, who finished ninth Mitch Moreland. The veteran came to the base of a mistake to take home Matt Olson for a 3-2 victory.
The win ended Detroit’s four games and extended the Oakland American League winning streak to eight games.