Oakland A’s walked-off again in loss to San Diego Padres

Oakland A's walked-off again in loss to San Diego Padres

SAN DIEGO — The A’s struck out a season-high 18 times and then watched closer Mason Miller surrender a walk-off home run on Wednesday, capping a truly forgettable visit to Petco Park.

The 5-4 loss came hours after the Padres rallied to beat the A’s 4-3 on Kyle Higashioka’s walk-off homer Tuesday night. The A’s were swept in the three-game series — their final visit to San Diego as an Oakland-based team — and have lost five in a row.

Miller, the A’s hard-throwing rookie closer, converted his first 11 save opportunities of the season. But in his past five appearances he has been tagged with his first loss and blown save of the season, and has allowed four runs (three of them earned) in six innings. He’s allowed three home runs in 30 innings this season, all have come in the past five games.

Rookie Jackson Merrill homered off Miller with one out in the ninth on Wednesday. It was his second homer of the game and capped a comeback that saw the A’s take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Merrill drove the first pitch he saw from Miller (1-1) down the right field line, his fifth and flipped his bat. He was met at home by a wild celebration.

“I don’t even remember me swinging it,” said Merrill, who at 21 became the youngest player in Padres history with a game-ending homer. “It’s kind of like one of those blackout moments when you do it and it’s really surreal.”

He went deep on a Miller slider.

“As soon as I saw spin, I kind of knew, ‘You’ve got to go here,’” Merrill said. “He’s not going to leave another spin pitch right in the middle of the zone.”

The A’s did snap Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.’s career-high 17-game hitting streak.

A’s manager Mark Kotsay was ejected in the top of the ninth by home plate umpire Tom Hanahan after arguing a strike call. The A’s struck out 18 times, including a season-high 12 by Padres starter Michael King.

The A’s rallied for three runs in the sixth to take the lead and pushed it to 4-2 in the eighth on Zack Gelof’s double to left-center.

Donovan Solano also hit two home runs, including a tying shot in the eighth. Tatis, who went 0 for 3, was aboard with a walk. Tatis’ streak had been the longest active streak in the majors.

The Padres came back to tie it at 4 in the bottom of the eighth on Solano’s two-run homer to center off Lucas Erceg.

The A’s put on a small-ball clinic in the sixth to rally from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead.

The A’s opened the sixth with five straight singles and then a walk. King allowed consecutive singles and was relieved by Wandy Peralta. Tyler Soderstrom and Shea Langeliers hit RBI singles.

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