It’s always seemed as though Bob Melvin’s Athletics have a flair for the dramatic.
The A’s won another nail-biter on Friday night against the Indians, when infielder Jed Lowrie hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth in Oakland, giving his team a victory on Game 1 of the season’s second half.
And as it turns out, the Athletics generate walk-off wins more than any other MLB team since Melvin took over in the dugout.
This fact certainly vibes with the impression I’ve had of the Athletics since Melvin took over. Back in 2012, Melvin’s first winning season in Oakland (and first full season as A’s manager), I used to routinely tune in to the ballgame late, say in the sixth or seventh inning — because that’s where all the action was.
Melvin had multiple platoon situations and constantly made the right moves with personnel, leading to late-game heroics for Oakland. I would turn the game on and expect a win, regardless of the score, and that was usually the outcome. I would call those late innings “winning time.”
And though Melvin and the A’s have seen a lot — winning and losing –since that year, they still have a flair for the dramatic. This time it was led on the field by Lowrie, who didn’t let the All-Star break cool his hot streak at the plate. His batting average now stands at .269, good for second-best on the Athletics behind only Matt Olson.
Bay Area Sports Hub 