Any given day, something crazy can happen in the MLB. The Philadelphia Phillies have been arguably the best team in the league, sweeping the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers in their last season. The Oakland Athletics, while not being completely terrible, have been pretty bad all season long. And yet, on a magical Sunday afternoon, the tables were flipped.
The measly Athletics, coming off a shocking win against this same Phillies team two nights ago, decided to make more magic on Sunday. After a slow start, Oakland completely lit up the league-leading Philly squad. The final score was 18-3, a score line that wouldn't be that surprising if not for the fact that it was the As that demolished the Phillies.
How does a team get to 18 runs? Well, by hitting multiple home runs, of course. The Athletics hit 8 home runs in their standout win over the Phillies. That has quite literally never been seen in recent history, as ESPN noted.
“The Oakland Athletics smashed eight home runs in Sunday's 18-3 rout of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, the most homers in a game by any one MLB team in 25 years.”
Right fielder Lawrence Butler accounted for three of the Athletics' eight home runs. Designated hitter Brent Rooker and left fielder Seth Brown had two, while Zack Gelof was the last home run. Gelof ended the game in style, hitting a grand slam in the ninth to put a bow on the Athletics' greatest game of the season.
It was quite the night for the Athletics, who already surprised many fans by being the Phillies in the series opener 6-2. The NL East powerhouse took Game 2 with a resounding 11-5 win. However, Oakland took advantage of a battered Philly team and took them by surprise.
Athletics on a roll
All things considered, the Athletics are not in a bad spot relative to their expectations. Sure, they're kind of bad right now, and they are last in the AL West with a bad record. Considering the expectations around Oakland, though, they're doing pretty well. Everyone expected this team to flounder and be the worst team in baseball, but they have held their own pretty given their talent.
Still, the issue of relocation looms large for the Athletics. Their move to Las Vegas has been halted due to some logistical issues regarding the location. It's left the Oakland team in limbo this season, as fans are left cheering for a team that is destined to move away from them soon. The fans have been trying to get the management to reconsider, executing “reverse boycotts” to prove the city's loyalty.
The Athletics have, at the very least, tried to keep themselves competitive despite the rough circumstances handed to them. The players have basically used this season as an audition for the next iteration of this Oakland team. While it hasn't been enough for the team to be consistently good, we can at least admire their perseverance.
Do the Athletics have a second-half surge in them to give Oakland one last present?
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