The Oakland Athletics got their second win of the season as Tony Kemp drove in a walk-off single to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 at the O.co Coliseum on Tuesday. With the win, the A's moved into third spot in the American League West.
The game was tied at three-all in the ninth inning as James Karinchak went to the mound to close out the bottom inning for the Guardians. Ryan Noda got the leadoff walk before Karinchak got Carlos Perez striked out. Noda advanced to second on a groundout by Esteury Ruiz, which brought Tony Kemp to the plate. Kemp hit a grounded ball to left field for Noda to complete as the A's got the walk-off win.
The win for the A's snapped a four-game winning streak for the Guardians, who lost for the first time since Opening Day. The Guardians were also pushed to second in the American League Central division. Gabriel Arias' solo home run was accompanied by RBIs from Josh Naylor and Esteban Ramirez.
For Oakland, Esteury Ruiz and Jace Peterson drove in runs as they were able to break a six-game losing streak against Cleveland at home. Fans were ecstatic at the result and took to Twitter to share their reactions.
One fan pointed out that Kemp had redeemed himself from the previous game where he, facing a similar situation in the bottom of the ninth with a one-run margin, was unable to convert as he flew out.
However, fans from other teams quite unsurprisingly made fun of the Oakland Athletics' stadium attendance issues.
Oakland Athletics' roster strength will be tested on the road
The A's will have done a good job if they are able to get the win in the last game of the series against the Cleveland Guardians. But tougher challenges await as the Oakland Athletics move on the road to face the Tampa Bay Rays, who have an unbeaten record so far and are dominating the AL East.