Khris Davis' 2-Run Homer Leads A's To Sweep Of Yankees
OAKLAND (AP) -- Khris Davis hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third that held up to back rookie Jharel Cotton's first victory since May 4, and the Oakland Athletics completed a four-game sweep of the slumping New York Yankees with a 4-3 win Sunday.
Davis hit his team-best 18th homer in the third after Chad Pinder tied the game on a two-run double that inning. Davis' leadoff double in the sixth was wasted.
New York welcomed back flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman but still lost its sixth straight game following a six-game winning streak, finishing a disappointing 1-6 road trip with a weekend dud against the American League's worst team.
Cotton (4-7) struck out six over 6 1/3 innings for his second-longest start of the season after going seven innings April 10 at Kansas City. The rookie right-hander, who had been 0-4 over a five-start winless stretch since beating the Twins, gave up six hits and three runs with a walk.
The A's won their fourth straight game, marking the club's second-longest winning streak of 2017 behind a stretch of five in a row April 18-22. Oakland had gone 26 series without a sweep dating to last Sept. 12-15 at Kansas City.
Matt Holliday hit a towering solo homer in the second that reached the top of the elevated bleachers then Aaron Judge had an RBI single in the third on a scorching Sunday. First-pitch temperature at the Coliseum was 90 degrees - the hottest to start a game since it was 91 degrees on June 20, 2008. The warmest day for baseball ever here was 92.
Chapman came off the disabled list after missing more than a month and pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. New York needs him late in games, and manager Joe Girardi was determined to use his flame-throwing closer regardless of the situation to immediately get him back in major league action.
Oakland's Sean Doolittle pitched the ninth for his third save and second in as many games after coming off the DL on June 10.
Didi Gregorius homered leading off the fourth for the Yankees, who lost three of the games here by one run. The umpires reviewed the drive to determine whether the ball stayed just inside the right-field foul pole, and their original call of home run was confirmed.
New York catcher Gary Sanchez was written into the lineup after going through pregame work to test his tender groin, an injury from Thursday night.
Yankees right-hander Luis Cessa (0-1) allowed four runs on five hits in four innings, struck out four and walked in his first major league start and second appearance.
TRAINER'S ROOM
A's: Starting right-hander Andrew Triggs, on the 10-day DL with a strained left hip, received a second opinion and was scheduled for a cortisone injection. ... Home plate umpire Ted Barrett took a ball off the left knee in the fifth but was fine to stay in the game.
DELAYED
The Yankees were delayed slightly getting out of San Francisco on Sunday morning after the lower deck of the Bay Bridge was partially shut down going out of the city toward Oakland for at least five hours. Officers responding to a crash shot and wounded a motorist who drove at them. Girardi said the team's bus got moving once two lanes reopened.
UP NEXT
A's: RHP Daniel Gossett (0-1), who allowed seven runs in his first career start and outing last Wednesday at Miami for the most ever by an Oakland pitcher in his major league debut, pitches the series opener against the Astros.
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