Brent Rooker lifted a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, and the visiting Athletics earned a 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night.
The Athletics won for only the fourth time in their past 17 visits to Yankee Stadium and earned the win after a shaky opening inning and a night after blowing a two-run lead in the eighth.
David Bednar (0-1) allowed a single to Nick Kurtz and a double to Shea Langeliers to put runners at second and third. After Tyler Soderstrom struck out on a splitter, Rooker lifted a 1-0 curveball to center field and Kurtz scored.
Elvis Alvarado (2-0) struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a 100-mph fastball to end the eighth and set up the ninth. Joel Kuhnel retired the side in the ninth for his second career save and first since 2022 with Cincinnati.
Kurtz, Langeliers and Jeff McNeil had multi-hit games for the A’s, who stranded 11 and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
McNeil had an RBI single in the fourth off New York’s Will Warren and the A’s scored the tying run when Max Muncy trotted home on a wild pitch.
The Yankees were unable to win in their last at-bat after doing so in their last two wins. New York struck out a season-high 15 times and had one of their four hits in the final eight innings.
Cody Bellinger hit an RBI single in the first and J.C. Escarra drew a bases-loaded walk against former New York starter Luis Severino.
Severino, who pitched for the Yankees from 2015 to 2023, allowed two runs on four hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out seven and issued five walks in his third appearance against his former team.
Warren allowed two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked three.
Severino threw 32 pitches in the opening inning when the Yankees took the lead on Bellinger’s bloop single to shallow left and Escarra’s bases-loaded walk after the A’s lost an ABS challenge.
Severino allowed one hit the rest of the way and retired Judge and McMahon on double plays to end the second and fourth.
The A’s tied it in the fourth as four straight hitters reached with two outs. McNeil singled to left and Muncy scored on a wild pitch during an at-bat to Kurtz, who ended the inning by striking out with two on.
