Arraez's RBI infield single in 8th lifts Marlins over A's and series sweep
Luis Arraez hit a tiebreaking infield single in the eighth inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Oakland Athletics 7-5 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Joey Wendle doubled against A's reliever Austin Pruitt to lead off the inning, then advanced on Jacob Stallings' single. Stallings took second on right-fielder Ramon Laureano's throw to the plate as Wendle remained at third.
Sam Moll relieved Pruitt (1-3) and struck out pinch hitter Jorge Soler before Arraez's hard smash over a drawn-in infield bounced off second baseman Aledmys Diaz's glove and drove in Wendle to give Miami a 6-5 lead. Nick Fortes ran for Stallings and scored from third on catcher Shea Langeliers' passed ball.
The Marlins are second in the NL East at 32-28. It marks the third best record through 60 games in franchise history behind the 1997 World Series championship team and the 2004 club which won 83 games.
"We're 60 games in and there's a lot of baseball left to play but credit to them, they don't take anybody for granted," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. "Every day is the most meaningful day for them and a chance to get better and try to win."
The A's lost their 14th straight on the road and are a major league-worst 12-49.
"That's the story of our year right now and everyone in that room is feeling it," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "There's a lot of emotion now in that room. It's continuing to be a grind."
Yuli Gurriel had three hits — falling a home run shy of a cycle — and Garrett Cooper went deep for the Marlins.
Cooper missed the previous four games after he experienced similar symptoms of the inner ear infection that landed him on the injured list last month.
"I'm doing good. I don't have any ill effects from anything," Cooper said. "Just doing eye training to stabilize everything. It's great to be back in the lineup today."
Tanner Scott (4-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Dylan Floro closed with a perfect ninth for his sixth save.
NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara overcame a difficult third inning in which he allowed five runs. He finished allowing six hits while striking out seven in seven innings.
Miami rallied from a 5-1 deficit and tied it on Cooper's three-run shot in the fifth. Cooper drove a hanging slider from Oakland starter Paul Blackburn that bounced off the left-field foul pole for his sixth homer.
Blackburn was lifted after the fifth. The right-hander allowed five runs, seven hits, walked two and struck out three in his second outing since starting the season on the injured list.
Alcantara retired the first six on 13 pitches before the A's took their first lead of the series. Nick Allen and Esteury Ruiz hit RBI singles and Ramon Laureano added a two-run double.
Standing at second, Laureano broke for third on an attempted steal when Alcantara stepped off the mound and threw errantly past third baseman Jean Segura that allowed Laureano to score. The error prompted jeers from the crowd of 12,507.
"I heard them," Alcantara said. "They can say whatever they want to say. I play for them and want to give 100 percent."
Stallings' sacrifice fly in the fourth got Miami to 5-2.
Consecutive doubles from Cooper and Gurriel in the second put the Marlins ahead 1-0.
FATEFUL THIRD
The A's strung four straight singles and had five of their six hits off Alcantara in the third. After he allowed Laureano's one-out single in the sixth, Laureano was erased on a double-play grounder.
"I didn't do anything differently," Alcantara said. "I just attacked the zone and threw strikes. Everything just happened that one inning."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Danny Jimenez (strained right shoulder) has started a throwing program at 60 feet.
Marlins: RHP Johnny Cueto (right biceps tightness) threw a bullpen session Friday and is scheduled to throw live batting practice in the coming week.
UP NEXT
Athletics: LHP JP Sears (0-3, 4.37) gets the start in the opener of a three-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday. The Pirates will go with go Johan Oviedo (3-4, 4.50).
Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett (1-2, 4.22) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Kansas City on Monday. The Royals have not announced a starter.
