OAKLAND, Calif. — Adolis Garcia saw, swung at, and promptly blasted the first ball he saw far above the Coliseum’s left field fence.
Oakland starter Paul Blackburn’s rude welcome back from his first All-Star appearance saw him give up that titanic two-run blast alongside a RBI double in the first inning of the A’s wild 11-8 loss to the Texas Rangers. Things didn’t get much better for Blackburn in what ended up being one of the most unusual games of the season.
If Texas’ first inning was all about power, their third inning displayed their ability to play so-called ‘small ball.’ Garcia smacked a single through a crack in the defense, and then he stole second. That gave him an opportunity to race home on a Leody Taveras single. Taveras followed up with a steal of his own, but couldn’t advance any further once Blackburn induced a flyout to left fielder Chad Pinder.
