OAKLAND — Despite another Brent Rooker home run, the Oakland A’s saw their impressive streak of not losing a series end at five on Sunday after the Los Angeles Dodgers escaped with a 3-2 victory in their last-ever trip to the Oakland Coliseum.
Kiké Hernandez had two doubles and two RBIs and Cavan Biggio added a run-scoring single as the Dodgers won two of the three games in the series, snapping a streak of six road series losses for L.A.
Rooker hit his 28th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning, for Oakland, which had won five of its last eight games going into Sunday. It was Rooker’s third home run in his last five games.
“He just continues to keep impressing and I think the focus for him right now is just to help the team win, which is awesome,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said.
“We did our job offensively, we just couldn’t get to the bullpen.”
Oakland’s series loss snapped a run of 4-0-1 in its previous five series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Los Angeles Angels (twice) and Houston Astros, with a split of a two-game set with the Giants.
Dodgers rookie starter River Ryan allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander did not figure in the decision and remained unbeaten through three career starts.
“Just trying to do my part,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been struggling as a team, and I believe that if I’m anywhere close to the hitter that I’m capable of being we’ll be in a better shape.
“I’ve been in somewhat of a better stretch the last week or two and I’m just trying to stay there and be consistent. … Glad we won this game and this series, we’re going back home to play a really good team, and hopefully we can get the ball rolling.”
Former Cal State East Bay star pitcher Alex Vesia (2-3) struck out two batters in the seventh inning and earned the Dodgers’ last win ever in Oakland.
The left-hander was one of five Los Angeles relievers who combined for six strikeouts and no walks in 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball. Anthony Banda pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save in his second opportunity.
Demoted Dodgers closer Evan Phillips entered in relief of Ryan and inherited a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the fifth inning. He struck out Rooker looking, ending the threat.
“It was a big moment for Evan,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s a guy that I certainly believe in, that he can manage success, he can manage some, some hard times, and still find a way to kind of mentally, you know, reset, and I thought the last two were really good outings.”
Oakland starter Osvaldo Bido (2-3) allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings with six strikeouts and three walks.
Hernandez’s two-out, two-run double in the top of the first inning scored Gavin Lux and Teoscar Hernandez and gave Los Angeles an early lead. He added a double in the sixth inning.
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Oakland tied the score at 2 when Rooker turned on first-pitch fastball from Ryan for a 429-foot homer that also scored JJ Bleday, who had singled.
The Dodgers scored the go-ahead run in the third inning when Biggio singled in Jason Heyward.
UP NEXT
The A’s will send left-hander JP Sears (8-8, 4.53) to the mound Monday when Oakland opens a series against the White Sox, who lost their 20th consecutive game Sunday, the majors’ longest skid in 36 years and one short of the American League record. Sears is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in two career starts against Chicago. RHP Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.11) starts for the White Sox.
