Athletics End Losing Streak, Defeat Phillies 5-4
Willie MacIver made a memorable debut, delivering a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning that marked his first hit in the majors. This pivotal moment helped the Athletics secure a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, effectively snapping an 11-game losing streak while also halting the Phillies' nine-game winning run.
In a heated seventh inning, A's manager Mark Kotsay and third baseman Miguel Andujar were ejected by plate umpire Roberto Ortiz after expressing their frustration over a controversial called strike, with the game tied at 3-3.
Philadelphia's Trea Turner put the Phillies ahead in the eighth with a home run off Hogan Harris, making it 4-3. However, the Athletics responded quickly.
Logan Davidson, who had a rough debut the previous day, walked with one out in the bottom of the eighth. He then hit a two-run double and followed up with a single for his first hits in the big leagues. Davidson's earlier performance included being thrown out at home and called for obstruction in a loss to the Twins.
Lawrence Butler tied the game with a triple before MacIver's crucial single to center field gave the A's the lead.
In a tense ninth inning, Mason Miller allowed a two-out single to Alec Bohm. Johan Rojas pinch ran but was caught stealing as MacIver, a 28-year-old catcher who had spent five years in the minors, made an impressive throw to shortstop Jacob Wilson, who tagged Rojas just before he reached the base. The call was confirmed after a video review.
Tyler Ferguson earned his first win since September 18, while Miller secured his 12th save in 14 opportunities, marking his third consecutive day on the mound—a first in his career.
Wilson had earlier set the tone for the Athletics with a 420-foot homer on Jesús Luzardo's first pitch, contributing to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Turner finished with three RBIs, including an RBI single in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Luzardo struck out ten batters over seven innings for the Phillies.
Miller redeemed himself after allowing a tying ninth-inning homer to Max Kepler the day before, retiring him on a grounder before striking out J.T. Realmuto to close out the game.
This victory marked a significant moment for the Athletics, who had not experienced such a lengthy losing streak since 1994.
Looking ahead, the Phillies will send left-hander Ranger Suárez (3-0, 3.70 ERA) to face Atlanta's right-hander Spencer Strider (0-2, 5.79 ERA) on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Athletics will have left-hander JP Sears (4-4, 4.00 ERA) starting against Houston's right-hander Hunter Brown (6-3, 2.04 ERA) on the same night.
