A’s beat Rockies 6-4 as Lawrence Butler scores on a throwing error and adds an RBI single

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lawrence Butler scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a throwing error and had an RBI single in the eighth to lead the Athletics to a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz hit back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth for the A’s. Langeliers’ homer, his team-leading 18th, traveled 450 feet to center field. Kurtz, who has 16 homers, hit his 471 feet to right-center.

Mason Barnett (1-0) worked 1 2/3 innings for the victory, and Hogan Harris got the final four outs for his sixth save.

Zach Agnos (0-2) took the loss.

Butler broke a 4-4 tie with two outs in the seventh when he got caught in a rundown. But Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman threw the ball away, allowing Butler to score. Goodman, who had slugged five home runs in his previous nine games, also went 0 for 4 and struck out three times.

Zack Gelof singled in the sixth inning for the A’s to extend his career-high hitting streak to 16 games. Tyler Soderstrom extended his on-base streak to 21 games with a seventh-inning walk.

Colorado’s Cole Carrigg hit a three-run 450-homer to right-center field in the sixth to put the Rockies ahead 4-2. Max Muncy answered with a two-run double in the bottom of the inning to tie it.

The game began with an unusual pitcher’s duel in this ballpark between rookie starters.

Gage Jump tossed five shutout innings, allowing three hits while striking out six batters. He then loaded the bases in the sixth with no one outs on two singles and a walk to end his night.

Left-hander Sean Sullivan pitched three shutout innings in his major league debut. He allowed two hits and struck out two. Sullivan was removed after throwing 49 pitches.

Up next

Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-6, 7.81 ERA) was set to start Saturday night in the second of the three-game series. The A’s hadn’t announced a starter.

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