A's Back Fiers with Balanced Offense, Beat Yankees
OAKLAND (AP) -- Stephen Piscotty hit a two-run single, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson each doubled in a run, and the Oakland Athletics jumped on the New York Yankees early for an 8-2 win Wednesday night.
Jed Lowrie added a run-scoring single as the A's backed righty Mike Fiers (11-6), who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first after Giancarlo Stanton's one-out double and a pair of two-out walks. Fiers is 4-0 in six starts since joining Oakland, and the A's have won all his outings.
The A's moved within 3 1/2 games of the Yankees for the top AL wild card, also remaining 3 1/2 games back of the AL West-leading Astros.
Fiers struck out the side in order in the sixth, and the lone hit he allowed after the first was Aaron Hicks' leadoff single in the fourth before Gary Sanchez's two-run homer in the seventh chased the Oakland starter.
Fiers struck out five in six innings, giving up three hits as the A's concluded a grueling stretch of 20 straight games without an off day.
New York right-hander Luis Severino (17-7) reached 200 strikeouts for the second consecutive season but was done with two outs in the third for his shortest outing of the season. He allowed six runs — five earned — on six hits.
Severino threw two wild pitches that scored separate runs in the first, when Sanchez also had a pair of passed balls.
PLATE PROBLEMS
Sanchez's 13 passed balls matched the Angels' Martin Maldonado for most in majors. Sanchez tied for the big league high with 16 last year. He also has been behind the plate for 37 wild pitches after being part of 53 in 2017.
The home run was Sanchez's first since June 20 against Seattle.
HALL OF FAME
The first class in the Athletics Hall of Fame was enshrined during a pregame ceremony.
Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson and the late Jim "Catfish" Hunter, along with Reggie Jackson and 1989 World Series MVP Dave Stewart were part of the class. So was late A's owner Charlie Finley.
TRAINER'S ROOM
A's: LHP Brett Anderson (strained forearm) threw off a mound and will throw an extended bullpen Saturday during which he gets up and sits down three times while throwing about 15 pitches each session. If all goes well he could be activated to make a start on the next road trip beginning Tuesday at Baltimore.
UP NEXT
A's: Following Thursday's off day, RHP Chris Bassitt (2-3, 3.19) pitches the opener of a weekend series at home against Texas.
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