Jarrod Parker And The Oakland Athletics Silence The New York Yankees

It was inconceivable to believe that the Oakland Athletics started their four game series against the New York Yankees that a four game four game sweep had a chance to happen. Riding the arms of three rookie starting pitchers in A.J. Griffin, Tommy Milone and Jarrod Parker that is the case.

The trio combined to throw 21 innings in the series and have allowed three runs, striking out 19, walking one and allowing 18 hits. Sean Doolittle another rookie earned his first career save after Ryan Cook also a rookie was unavailable to pitch the ninth inning after being used in three straight games in which he picked up two wins and a save.

Parker tonight went eight innings allowing five hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts. The only inning that Parker had any trouble was the  was in the fourth. Alex Rodriguez started the inning out with a single, got to second on a ground out by Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira grounded out to second allowing Rodriguez to third and Raul Ibanez singled in Rodriguez to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

In the sixth inning was the only other time against Parker that the Yankees had any threat. Curtis Granderson started the inning off with a walk, Rodriguez flew out for the first out and Granderson also got to get to second on a wild pitch, yet Parker struck out Cano swinging and got Teixeira to ground out.

As for Doolittle there was some tense moments in the ninth with the lead. Rodriguez singled leading off the inning, Doolittle got Cano to strike out, he then struck out Teixeira on a called third strike, yet Rodriguez was able to steal second. With a runner in scoring position and two outs the dangerous Andruw Jones came to the plate as a pinch-hitter. Jones worked the count full and Doolittle got Jones swinging to end the game.

Phil Hughes threw an excellent game for the Yankees allowing just four hits, yet it was the two mistakes that he made in the game that cost him. One in the fourth inning when he threw a fastball to Yoenis Cespedes that Cespedes annihilated and the second mistake came with Brandon Inge as he left a fastball out over the plate and Inge hit a home run to right center field to take the 2-1 lead.

With the win the A’s took the series from the Yankees and have a shot at the sweep. In the series the Yankees consecutive game streak of 43 straight games of at least three runs or more ended, Cano’s hitting streak is no more and now have gone two consecutive games of scoring two runs or less. Sunday, means it’s time of the brooms!