The first-place Athletics opened athletics - padres on May 24 with Jeffrey Springs starting against Walker Buehler in a three-game Memorial Day weekend series at Petco Park. Oakland arrived after winning three of four games against the Los Angeles Angels and needing 10 innings to take each of the final two.
Springs Takes the Ball
Springs entered his 11th start with a 3-4 record, a 3.93 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. He also came off his last outing against the San Francisco Giants, when he took the loss after allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits over six innings.
Oakland needed that kind of steady work again. The club was trying to stretch its winning streak to four games while sorting out more consistent production from Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom.
Walker Buehler at Petco Park
Buehler made his ninth start for San Diego with a 3-2 record, a 5.01 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched. He had picked up the win in his last start against the Seattle Mariners after allowing two runs on five hits over five innings, following a previous outing in which he worked six innings of two-run ball.
San Diego’s side of the matchup carried another layer. Padres closer Mason Miller faced his former team for the first time since he was traded last July, and he entered the day with a 1-1 record, a 0.79 ERA, 15 saves and 45 strikeouts in 22.2 innings across 22 appearances. The Padres also played on Star Wars Night at Petco Park, while the Athletics gave Henry Bolte another start in center field and kept Lawrence Butler on the bench.
That put both clubs in a useful early read on where they stood. The Athletics brought momentum from a road trip that started well in Southern California, while San Diego answered with Buehler on the mound and Miller back in the picture against the club that dealt him away in July.
