OAKLAND, Calif. — The Athletics will have to win two straight games against the Chicago Cubs to avoid history.
The Cubs drubbed the A’s 10-1 Monday night before 4,714 at the Coliseum, Oakland’s fifth straight loss and 12th in 14 games. Now 3-14, the Athletics must beat the Cubs Tuesday night and Wednesday to win their first series of the season and avoid being the first team in franchise history (including Philadelphia and Kansas City) to lose their sixth consecutive series to begin the season.
The Cubs (9-6) chased A’s rookie No. 1 starter Kyle Muller in the fourth inning and improved to 9-6 behind rookie right-hander Hayden Wesneski (1-0).
Three days after giving up 17 walks against the Mets, Muller gave up just two walks and the Cubs had none against three other relievers.
“They didn’t chase and he got behind and had to use his fastball over the middle of the plate,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Overall, we threw too many strikes.”
Wesneski, who had two no decisions and gave up 11 hits and 10 runs (five earned) in his first two starts, gave up a run in the first and then blanked the A’s through the seventh.
From the last out of the second inning to the second batter in the seventh, Wesneski retired 15 straight batters before Jesus Aguilar singled. Brandon Hughes pitched the eighth and Julian Merryweather the ninth for Chicago.
Saint Mary’s College product Patrick Wisdom homered twice for the Cubs in the second and eighth innings, his seventh and eighth of the season. The first measured 428 feet to left center against Muller, the second 412 feet to center off Adrian Martinez.
Chicago ended with 20 hits against four pitchers, the most the A’s have given up this season. Cody Bellinger, who last had his hitting stroke in 2019 with the Dodgers, went 5-for-5 for the Cubs. Every Chicago starter had at least one hit except Trey Mancini, who was 0-for-5 as the Cubs hit .455 (20-for-44) against A’s pitching.
In taking his first loss, Muller gave up 13 hits and six runs, all earned, in four-plus innings.
“Every mistake I made they capitalized on,” Muller said. “I’d rather get beat giving up hits than walking guys. Tough one today.”
Muller’s ERA rose to 7.23 and would have been worse had it not been for some impressive relief from Jeurys Familia in the fourth.
After the Cubs opened with consecutive singles from Wisdom, Bellinger and Yan Gomes, Familia got three straight ground outs — two forces at home plate and an unassisted chance at third to end the inning.
Kotsay changed the lineup to put Ryan Noda in the No. 2 spot behind Esteury Ruiz, reasoning the former’s penchant for seeing a lot of pitches could help get something going with the speedy rookie on base. Sure enough, Ruiz singled, took third on Noda’s hit-and-run single, and scored on an infield out in the first inning.
Everything stopped there, as Aledmys Diaz drove in the run with a grounder and Brent Rooker and Tony Kemp hit harmless fly balls for outs.
The A’s got the leadoff runner aboard only twice in the first and ninth innings.
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