Daz Cameron and Zack Gelof capped a four-run fourth inning with consecutive sacrifice flies, Mason Miller retired all four batters he faced for his 21st save and the Oakland Athletics snapped the visiting Milwaukee Brewers’ interleague winning streak at 12 with a 4-3 victory Sunday afternoon.
The loss not only denied the Brewers a shot at a three-game sweep in Oakland, but also handed the National League Central leaders their first interleague defeat since June 17.
Oakland did all of its scoring in the fourth against former A’s pitcher Frankie Montas (6-9), who had taken a 2-0 lead into the inning.
Consecutive singles by Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker and JJ Bleday loaded the bases with no outs. Montas then walked Shea Langeliers and served up an RBI single to Seth Brown, tying the score, before the run-scoring flyballs by Cameron and Gelof.
Making his final Oakland start after having spent six seasons (2017-22) with the A’s, Montas worked six innings, allowing four runs and five hits. He walked two and struck out seven.
The Brewers did their early scoring on a two-run home run by Gary Sanchez off A’s starter Joey Estes (6-6). The veteran’s ninth homer also scored Sal Frelick, who had singled.
Estes didn’t allow another hit until pulled two outs into the sixth, charged with two runs and two hits. He walked one and struck out five.
The visitors got another homer, a seventh-inning solo shot by Willy Adames, to close within 4-3, then appeared to get a break in the eighth when A’s reliever Tyler Ferguson threw wildly to second base on a potential inning-ending comebacker.
But A’s shortstop Max Schuemann was backing up the play, caught the errant throw and was still able to get Jackson Chourio at first base for the inning’s second out.
Miller then came in and got William Contreras to foul out, before working a 1-2-3 ninth.
The multiple-innings save was Miller’s fourth of the season.
The A’s win was just the second in their last six games. It came in a game in which they had only five hits, all singles.
The Brewers countered with just four hits as their interleague record fell to a major-league-best 31-15. Adames’ homer was his 23rd of the year.
