The Oakland Athletics might be one of the worst teams in MLB, but the team’s 37-61 record didn’t stop them from handing a knockout blow to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday. The Phillies, who at 62-34 have the best record in baseball, looked completely powerless as the Athletics took the team down in Philadelphia, 18-3.
The A’s hit eight homers to achieve the monster win.
Things started slow for Oakland, with Philadelphia opening the scoring with a Trea Turner home run in the first inning. However, the A’s heated up afterward, starting with a two-run home run at the top of the fourth inning and continuing on from there.
Oakland went on to score at least two runs in every remaining inning, capping things off with five runs in the ninth. Right fielder Lawrence Butler hit three homers, tallying six RBI. Designated hitter Brent Rooker and first baseman Seth Brown added two homers each, and second baseman Zack Gelof contributed a grand slam in the ninth inning to run up the score.
The A’s took the three-game series, winning two of three in Philadelphia. The team will return to Oakland on Friday to play the Los Angeles Angels after the All-Star break.
The A’s sit at the bottom of the AL West and have one of the worst records in the league. And yet this isn’t the first time this season Oakland has handed a high-ranking team its rear end on a platter: The A’s defeated the Baltimore Orioles, who lead the AL East, with a 19-8 scoreline on July 6.
Oakland also beat the Miami Marlins with a historic 20-4 win in May, scoring 10 runs in one inning. (The Marlins have struggled this season and are currently 33-63.)
This marks the final season before the Athletics leave Oakland to play in Sacramento ahead of the franchise’s move to Las Vegas.
