Joe Boyle debuts, but A’s get whitewashed 10-1

Joe Boyle tossed three scoreless innings in his debut

The Oakland Athletics suffered their fourth straight loss Sunday, falling 10-1 to the San Diego Padres.

Joe Boyle made his major league debut as an opener for Sunday’s game. His major league strikeout was Fernando Tatis Jr. Juan Soto singled with two outs, but Boyle got Manny Machado to ground into a force out to end the inning.

The A’s threatened right away as Zack Gelof singled with one out. He moved to second on a ground out by Brent Rooker and then took third on a wild pitch. However, Seth Brown struck out swinging to leave him stranded at third.

Boyle put up another zero in the second. He issued a one-out walk to Jurickson Profar in the third, but added two more strikeouts in a scoreless frame.

He’d give way to Ken Waldichuk to start the fourth who allowed a ground rule double to Machado on his first pitch of the afternoon. Xander Bogaerts and Luis Campusano followed with back-to-back singles to put the Padres up 1-0.

Waldichuk struck out Jose Azocar and then got Matthew Batten to ground into a force play. Batten though beat the relay throw at first to prevent the double play. That would prove costly as Eguy Rosario reached on an infield single to Ryan Noda, Bogaerts scored on the play to extend the lead to 2-0.

Pedro Avila replaced Nick Martinez for the Padres to start the fourth and walked Gelof to start the inning. Rooker followed with a single to put runners at first and second. However, the A’s once again couldn’t come up with a big hit as Avila retired Brown, Shea Langeliers and Lawrence Butler in order to end the inning.

Waldichuk allowed a single to Bogaerts to start the sixth. He moved to second as Campusano sent a hot shot that Nick Allen was unable to come up with. A bunt by Azocar moved runners to second and third and Batten followed with a single through the drawn in infield to double the Padres lead to 4-0.

Waldichuk allowed the leadoff man to reach again in the seventh as Tatis singled on a line drive to center. Juan Soto followed with a long two-run home run to right center to push the deficit to 6-0.

Brown began the seventh with a single off of lefty Tom Cosgrove. He was erased on a ground out by Langeliers, but Butler followed with another single of his own. Kevin Smith was called out on strikes for the second out, but Allen reached on an infield single to load the bases. Still, the A’s weren’t able to come up with a big hit as Esteury Ruiz grounded out to third to end the threat.

Waldichuk would give way to Devin Sweet to start the eighth. It was a tough outing for Waldichuk, who had pitched well of late, allowing nine hits and six runs in just four innings. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter while throwing 80 pitches.

Sweet pitched his way into trouble in the eighth. He hit Jose Azocar and then allowed a single to Batten to put runners at first and second. Rosario was called out on strikes, but Profar walked to load the bases. Sweet struck out Tatis swinging for the second out, but then allowed Soto’s first career grand slam to blow the game wide open at 10-0.

Oakland finally got on the board with two outs in the eighth when Rooker took Ray Kerr deep to make it 10-1.

The loss drops the A’s to 46-103 on the season. They will continue their homestand Monday when they begin a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.