Noda hits tying grand slam in 7th, A’s beat Diamondbacks 9-8 in 12 innings
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Noda hit a tying grand slam in the seventh inning, Esteury Ruiz drove in the winning run with an infield single that bounced off Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed in the 12th and the Oakland Athletics beat the Diamondbacks 9-8 on Tuesday night.
The A’s came back from deficits of 2-0 and 8-4, winning on a walkoff hit for the second time in five days. Austin Pruitt (1-1) pitched the final three innings for the victory.
“We just keep coming in every day believing that we can beat anybody who comes out on that field against us,” Noda said.
Both teams wasted scoring opportunities late.
Arizona had two on in the eighth and one on in the 11th but couldn’t cash in. The A’s had two on in the 10th and 11th but also failed to score.
With Ramón Laureano starting the 12th at second base, Scott McGough (0-4) struck out Shea Langeliers before an intentional walk to Jace Peterson. Nick Allen, who homered in the fourth, then reached on an infield single before Ruiz’s winner in front of another sparse crowd of 3,261 at the Coliseum.
“We’re all just going through it together and fighting together,” Allen said. “We’re just trying to put quality at-bats together and quality innings on the mound. We’re all just doing it as a team.”
The low attendance continued an ongoing trend in Oakland since the team purchased land to build a stadium in Las Vegas.
The A’s drew 25,547 total for a four-game series against the Rangers, then opened the set with the Diamondbacks on Monday with an announced crowd of 2,064, their smallest for a home game fans were allowed to attend since drawing 1,037 against Texas on Sept. 19, 1979.
Laureano also connected for the A’s, who won for the second time in 10 games.
“It feels like every win lately has been a win where we talk about using the whole team,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said. “Tonight is the same. Several guys had good nights. Pruitt’s night, coming in and throwing three innings there and holding the Diamondbacks to zero runs is pretty remarkable.”
Christian Walker and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for Arizona.
Gurriel’s home run off reliever Garrett Acton was his second in two nights and seventh in 38 games this season after having five in 121 games in 2022. It also extended Gurriel’s hitting streak to 10 games.
Noda’s first career grand slam, and the first for the A’s this season, came off reliever Kyle Nelson in the seventh and erased Arizona’s four-run lead. That came two pitches after Carlos Pérez reached on a two-out fielding error by third baseman Evan Longoria.
“Just try to get a good pitch and drive it,” Noda said of his thinking in the at-bat. “That’s the approach most of the time but especially right there.”
Dominic Fletcher singled in the fifth and became the fifth player in Diamondbacks history to have at least 20 hits in their first 15 career games.
That was big on a night when Arizona starting pitcher Tommy Henry failed to make it out of the fifth. Henry allowed six hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings and left after giving up a two-out RBI single to Carlos Pérez that cut the Diamondbacks lead to 6-4.
GLOVELY PLAY
Allen made a tremendous play on Gabriel Moreno’s grounder up the middle, going behind second base to grab the ball. The A’s shortstop did a 360-degree spin and made a one-hop throw to first baseman Jesús Aguilar for the out.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Mason Miller has been diagnosed with a mild UCL sprain, although the team hopes he can return to the mound this season. … RHP Trevor May (anxiety) was sent to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin a rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.20 ERA) pitches the series finale Wednesday afternoon. Nelson has lost six consecutive starts dating to his only win April 9 against the Dodgers. RHP Luis Medina (0-2, 8.18) gets the call for the A’s and is seeking his first career victory in the majors.
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