By Aaron Bracy
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Lawrence Butler homered, Shea Langeliers drove in a two runs and the Oakland Athletics beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Friday night.
Miguel Andujar and Brent Rooker also had RBIs for the A’s, who are in last place in the AL West and have the fourth-fewest wins (36) in baseball.
“They can compete each night when they play good, fundamental baseball,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said.
The Phillies have the most wins (61) and were coming off a three-game home sweep of the NL West-leading Dodgers while outscoring Los Angeles 19-5. But NL East-leading Philadelphia dropped the first in a three-game series against cellar-dwelling Oakland.
Oakland’s four-run victory marked the first time Philadelphia has lost a game by four or more runs since April 14 when the Phillies were beaten 9-2 by Pittsburgh.
“It just didn’t happen tonight,” Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber said. “That one big hit avoided us.”
Ranger Suárez (10-4), one of a franchise-record seven Phillies All-Stars, continued his recent struggles, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings. Suárez had a 1.83 ERA through his first 16 starts but has an 8.62 mark in his last three outings.
“I’m not choosing my pitches correctly, and I’m not pitching where I want to,” Suárez said through a translator. “I’m trying to be too perfect on the mound.”
Osvaldo Bido (1-1) tossed three scoreless innings of relief to get the win.
“Tip your cap to the job Bido said,” Kotsay said.
The A’s scored all of their runs against Suárez with two outs. Three consecutive RBI singles by Andujar, Rooker and Langeliers in the third put Oakland ahead 3-1.
“Guys made a commitment to grind out out at-bats,” Kotsay said.
Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Edmundo Sosa’s RBI single before Langeliers’ single in the fifth made it a two-run game again.
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Butler’s two-run, pinch-hit drive in the eighth off right-hander José Ruiz increased the lead to 6-2.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner was ejected in the eighth inning by home-plate umpire David Rackley for arguing a called third strike.
ROSTER MOVE
The Phillies released three-time All-Star Whit Merrifield prior to the game. Merrifield batted .199 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 53 games after signing a one-year, $8 million free-agent deal in the offseason. Philadelphia recalled Weston Wilson to take Merrifield’s place. Wilson started in left field and went 1 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.
“I liked Wilson’s at-bats,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.
UP NEXT
Phillies RHP Tyler Phillips (0-0, 2.25) opposes Oakland RHP Mitch Spence (5-5, 4.29) in the second game of the three-game series on Saturday.
