OAKLAND, Calif. — DJ LeMahieu’s errant throw may have been the decisive play that ended the New York Yankees’ five-game winning streak, but it was the inability to generate any offense all night that really mattered the problem.
Shea Langeliers hit the winning run on a throwing error by LeMahieu in the 11th inning, and the Oakland Athletics held the Yankees to one hit in a 3-2 victory on Saturday.
A lineup that has produced the most runs in the AL this season couldn’t do anything against Adam Oller and the Oakland bullpen.
“We weren’t able to do much,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It was a challenge for us. Oller kept us down and kept us in check. We just weren’t able to get up much.”
The lone hit for New York was Oswaldo Cabrera’s leadoff double in the sixth, giving the Yankees their fewest innings in an inning since at least 1906, according to Sportradar.
That proved costly in the 11th, when the Yankees’ defense let them down. With runners on first and second and one out, Chad Pinder hit an apparent two-play grounder to stop Lou Trivino (2-8).
The Yankees took the force to second base, but LeMahieu’s throw to first was off target, allowing Langeliers to score.
“There’s not a lot of other guys you’d want the ball in their arms,” Boone said. “He just threw it wide.”
Joel Payamps (3-3) pitched a scoreless 11th for the win.
After neither team scored through the first nine innings, there was plenty of action in overtime.
The Yankees got on the board in the top of the 10th, with Andrew Benintendi and Josh Donaldson scoring the game’s first runs on a wild pitch by AJ Puk followed by a throwing error by pitcher Sean Murphy.
Pinch hitter Stephen Vogt tied it with a two-run homer off Ron Marinaccio, who had held the lefty to four hits and no homers in 56 at-bats before that. Vogt walked up looking for a change and delivered when he saw it.
“It was a really cool moment to go out there to look for that pitch, get it and not miss,” he said. “It’s one of the best feelings you can have.”
Neither team managed a hit through five innings – the third time that has happened in a game over the last three seasons.
Oller, who entered with a 6.41 ERA, faced the minimum 24 batters in eight innings, allowing one hit and one walk. One hit reached on an error during his 88-pitch outing.
Oller swiped two runners on the caught steals he started, and the other was retired on a two-play groundout in the best outing of his young career.
“Obviously against an offensive power like that, it’s really big,” Oller said. “You go into the night expecting a team like that to get their shots. It’s just a matter of minimizing and trying to get out of situations.”
Domingo Germán was just as sharp for the Yankees, allowing three hits and no walks in 7 2/3 scoreless innings.
TIFF ON THE FIELD
The game was delayed slightly in the top of the ninth when a fan walked onto the field. He was knocked down by the safety near the right field line and ejected.
PROTECTIVE KNEE
There were some key defensive plays on both ends.
LeMahieu doing one great, rear stop to rob Murphy to end the first inning.
Pinder’s work a dancing catch to the right field wall to get an extra base hit away from Cabrera at third.
Germán got help from his outfield, with Aaron Judge scampering over the center field wall to rob Cal Stevenson in the top of the sixth and Benintendi making a sliding catch in left to get a shot away from Vimael Machin in the seventh.
COACH ROOM
Yankees: New York reliever Aroldis Chapman was placed on the disabled list after getting a foot infection from a recent tattoo. … C Jose Trevino was held out after being hit by a pitch on the toe. … Giancarlo Stanton got the night off after serving as DH the last two days after coming off the IL. … LHP Zach Britton (Tommy John surgery) left his second minor league rehab appearance in Florida after three hits with an injury, but Boone had no details.
Athletics: RHP Dany Jiménez will miss the rest of the season after going on 60-day IL with a strained right shoulder. It is the second time this season Jiménez has been sidelined with a strained right shoulder after missing six weeks earlier this year. He is 3-4 with 11 saves and a 3.41 ERA in 34 appearances. … RHP Austin Pruitt was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Jiménez’s spot.
NEXT
Adrián Martínez (2-3, 6.08 ERA) will be called up from the minors to start Sunday’s series finale for the A’s, with Zach Logue taking over. Clarke Schmidt (5-2, 2.18) makes his second start of the season for the Yankees.
——