Cubs manager Joe Maddon had a inkling that Jorge Soler would succeed despite not playing in a major league game in almost two months and batting only.162 with no home runs in 50 plate appearances during a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
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As if their fans needed one, a dark reminder of the A’s not-so-distant glorious past will be present Friday night when Jon Lester takes the mound at the Coliseum for the first time since 2014. The Cubs lead the all time series, 5-4, with seven of the nine games having been decided by two or fewer runs.
“It’s a little different”, Lester said.
“I enjoyed pitching here. It’s unbelievable to come here as a home player as opposed to a visitor”.
Oakland sent out rookie Dillon Overton and the Cubs took advantage, scoring all seven runs and racking up nine hits off the lefty.
“I think overall my pitches were working good, they just hit everything I threw”, Overton said.
Rookie outfielder Brett Eibner was recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Friday and hit a solo home run in his A’s debut. “It happens to the best of us so I’ve just got to keep that positive attitude and keep grinding away”. He had a walkoff hit against the Chicago White Sox in his second game in the bigs in May, capping a seven-run rally in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI single.
After Overton was pulled following the third inning, A’s relievers Andrew Triggs, Daniel Coulombe and Marc Rzepczynski combined to allow just three Cubs baserunners from the fourth inning on, but by then, the damage had already been done.
The moves backfired on the A’s, who struggled down the stretch, lost the American League West to the Los Angeles Angels and saw their season come to a crashing halt in the wild-card playoff game.
“I just think we all (have) high highs and lows”, catcher David Ross said Friday before the Cubs’ 7-2 victory against Oakland. “Believe it or not I was actually hitting my spots better tonight”, Overton said.
Billy Beane, the A’s general manager at the time, went all-in for a shot at a championship in the days leading up to the 2014 trade deadline.
Cubs: Maddon said the plan is to ease Soler back in and get him some defensive work in the outfield before the team faces another NL team on August 11. To make room on the roster for Soler, the Cubs designated RHP Joe Nathan for assignment.2. Nathan made three appearances for the Cubs covering two innings.
Athletics: Jed Lowrie was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a bunion on his left foot. RHP Jesse Hahn also went on the DL with a strained right shoulder.
And as if the four runs in the first inning weren’t enough, they punched in three more in the third to leave no glimmer of an Oakland comeback possible. The Cubs defeated visiting Miami 5-4 Wednesday to cap off a three game sweep of the Marlins.
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Athetics: RHP Sonny Gray (5-10) has won only twice in 11 starts since coming off the disabled list.
