Louis Varland picks up 33rd save in win vs. Royals

The A’s won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Jeff McNeil infield single off Louis Varland with the bases loaded and two outs. Bolte had drawn his third walk just prior to that hit. His homer was a 341-foot opposite field shot off Dylan Cease. He was actually on base all five times up tonight, since he reached on an Ernie Clement throwing error after his 103-mph grounder in the seventh. Blessed with a great deal of power and speed and cursed with one of the highest groundball rates in the league, Bolte is going to be a fascinating pick in fantasy leagues next spring. First, he might win some leagues for people this month if he keeps running like this. He’s 5-for-5 stealing bases in September and is up to 19 steals in 102 games on the season.

It’s Lopez’s first time giving up more than two runs in 10 second-half starts, but it didn’t have to be; he allowed only an Alejandro Kirk solo homer through six. The seventh started with a Kazuma Okamoto homer, but even so, Lopez was left in to allow a pair of soft singles and an RBI double before being lifted. Luis Medina took over then and did nice work in getting out of the inning with only one more run scoring. Lopez was still in line for a win at that point, but it didn’t last, and he was left with his seventh no-decision in his last eight starts. He figures to make his next start Sunday against the Mariners.

Harris had allowed just one homer to a lefty this season before Andrés Giménez clubbed a 415-footer off him to tie things up in the ninth tonight. It went as Harris’s seventh blown save, but the A’s picked him up by winning the game in the bottom of the inning.

Cease’s velocity bounced back some last time out in a strong outing against the Guardians, but he averaged a season-low 94.9 mph with his fastball tonight. His previous low was 95.2 mph from his Aug. 28 outing. He averaged 97.6 mph through 18 starts, but his high mark in nine starts since is 96.2 mph. It seems like it could be a real concern for the Jays if they make it to the postseason, though they have to get there first and tonight’s loss doesn’t help. Cease figures to make his next start Saturday or Sunday versus the Orioles.

The two singles Varland allowed tonight were hit 43 and 52 mph. Third baseman Kazuma Okamoto couldn’t make a play on the first one, and the second, with two outs and the bases loaded following two walks, was a grounder to short beaten out by Jeff McNeil, ending the game. It’s the first run Varland has given up since Aug. 8 and just the 10th earned run he’s allowed on the season.

The homer off Brandon Williamson left his bat at 112.6 mph, his hardest-hit ball since 2024. His previous high this year was 112.2 mph. Finally coming alive at a great time for the Dodgers, Hernández is 13-for-29 with two homers, 11 RBI and two steals in his last eight games.

The lone run came on Elly De La Cruz’s homer in the first. Sheehan allowed only two other hits and walked one in the 82-pitch outing. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Sheehan would get a chance to remain in the rotation. That probably puts him in line to face the Marlins on Sunday, making him a worthy streaming option.

In a bit of a surprise, Tanner Scott went unused tonight, though he wasn’t really needed in a three-run game against Cincinnati. Phillips has pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 over his last eight appearances. He struggled some initially in his return from Tommy John surgery, but in his current form, he should be a key reliever for the Dodgers in October. He averaged 98.5 mph with his fastball tonight, which is up about two mph from his best seasons in 2022 and ’23.

Burns allowed just one batter to reach, that on a walk, in the 44-pitch outing. He’s expected to remain on a similar pitch count for the rest of the season. He’s currently at 148 1/3 innings with three outings to go, so it looks like he’ll fall just short of qualifying for the ERA title. He’s sixth in the NL and 10th in the majors in ERA at the moment.

Williamson entered with a one-run lead in the fourth, but that didn’t last long, mostly because he walked five (one intentionally) and hit a batter. He’s expected to continue pitching behind Burns for now.