Marlins Face A's Looking To End Home Losing Streak
(AP) -- Resiliency has been one key to the Oakland Athletics' success this season.
After rallying for another late-inning victory, the A's try to hand the Miami Marlins a fourth consecutive home loss Saturday.
Oakland (49-30) almost blew an 8-0 lead in Wednesday's 8-5 win over the New York Mets, then couldn't hold a four-run advantage before breaking open a tie game with four in the ninth of a 9-5 victory at Miami on Friday. Coco Crisp scored the go-ahead run on a reversal call at the plate and Josh Donaldson had three RBIs for the major league-leading A's, who overcame a five-run sixth by the Marlins (39-41) to win for the ninth time in 12 contests.
"It shows what kind of character we have," pitcher Jesse Chavez said. "We don't give up even if we do have a bad inning. We don't let it affect the way the rest of the game is going to play out. That's the big key for us and our success."
Oakland has won a major league-high 11 times when tied or trailing after eight innings.
"We just go out there and keep battling," said Crisp, who is batting .351 with 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored in his last 26 contests.
Oakland has totaled 39 runs while going 5-1 during interleague play this season.
Sonny Gray (7-3, 2.91 ERA) allowed eight runs and 11 hits in 11 1-3 innings while losing two straight starts before he gave up two runs in seven innings of a 4-2 win over Texas on June 18. With off days on Monday and Thursday, manager Bob Melvin opted to give Gray some extra rest.
"Just giving Sonny a little bit of a break," Melvin told MLB's official website. "We did this a couple times the last few years and potentially (will) consider it with somebody else down the road, too."
The right-hander went 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA in his first five road starts before he allowed five runs and four walks in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-3 loss at Baltimore on June 7.
This is the first time he'll face Miami, which has dropped 13 of 19 at home since starting 19-6 there.
Giancarlo Stanton had two hits Friday for the Marlins, and is 13 for 26 in his last seven games.
Miami's Nathan Eovaldi (5-3, 3.52) has allowed three earned runs in 20 1-3 innings while going 2-0 in his last three road starts, but 11 over 10 2-3 innings to go 0-1 in last the two at home. He hopes to end that trend by building on Monday's outing when he gave up six hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-0 win at Philadelphia.
"I think it's pretty easy to put those (poor starts) behind you," Eovaldi said.
In his only appearance against the A's while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Eovaldi yielded three runs in six innings of a 4-1 loss in 2012.
Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes is batting .372 with 13 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak, and is 2 for 3 with a double against Eovaldi
A's catcher Derek Norris isn't expected to play after leaving Friday's contest with lower back tightness. Norris hopes to rejoin the lineup Sunday.
"It's a little tweak in the back," Norris said. "I wouldn't expect anything more than about a day off or so."
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