OAKLAND -- The A’s have been playing their best ball over the past month, but even in the strong stretch, sweeps have been an elusive target.
A’s manager Bob Melvin said the general prediction inside the dugout to start out the ninth was that Pinder would end it with one swing. It wasn’t exactly a home run, but getting on base was essential.\n\n“Everybody in the dugout had a call for Pinder hitting a walk-off,” Melvin said. “He did it a little differently. But it takes a good at-bat to get it started, and once it gets started, you feel like you have a good chance.”\n\nAs important as Pinder’s hustle was in securing the win, it would not have been possible without Laureano’s seventh-inning homer. The A’s offense was stagnant to that point, with just three hits through the first six frames. Once Laureano connected on the 1-2 slider from Marshall that sailed over the wall in center, a jolt of energy shot through the home dugout.\n\n“Typically late in these games when both pitchers are pitching well, the way the ball is flying these days, a home run is going to be the difference,” Melvin said. “To be able to follow up right after we had just gone down was key.”
The A’s have homered in a season-high 15 consecutive games, with Laureano’s home run his 18th of the season. The 25-year-old has already surpassed his season-high total for big flies, both in the Majors and Minors, and has the second most among Major League center fielders behind Mike Trout.\n\n“At some point in time, we felt like he had a chance to be a 30-homer guy,” Melvin said. “Maybe he’s on pace a little sooner than we expected, but it’s not a surprise. He’s a strong guy all around. He’s understanding the league and making adjustments.”\n\n**Anderson picks up where he left off**\n\n
Anderson's only blemish on Sunday came in the seventh, when he surrendered a go-ahead home run to Eloy Jimenez on a 1-1 changeup left up in the zone.\n\n“I made a terrible pitch to Jimenez and felt terrible because I thought I cost us the game, but Ramon came up with the big hit,” Anderson said. “Usually for command guys, coming back from the break is tough because it takes a little longer. But for my first start after the break, I felt pretty good. I’ll take it.”\n\n**New guy in town**\n\nThe addition of