Elephant Rumblings: A’s snap skid in homestand opener

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

What a relief.

The A’s began a six-game homestand yesterday, hoping to get an eight game losing streak behind them against the Rockies. For the fourth straight game they fell behind in the first inning, but Aaron Brooks gutted out out a quality start, Abraham Toro hit the go-ahead dinger, and ho hum, Mason Miller struck out the side in the ninth to seal a desperately needed 5-4 comeback victory. The win puts the A’s back in fourth place ahead of the Angels in the AL West. dfriis has your full recap here on AN.

The A’s continue actively shuffling their pitching staff. Connor Ashford has the rundown on the A’s latest bullpen reinforcement, Scott Alexander.

The future of A’s baseball in Oakland is looking quite bleak, but the SELL movement lives on, albeit perhaps more focused on punishing owner John Fisher and his accomplices than keeping the team in its hometown of 56 years. Dylan Svoboda at the New York Post took an inside look at the current state of SELL.

The future of baseball in Oakland now appears to rest with the city’s newest professional team, the Oakland Ballers, who played—and won—their inaugural game yesterday. If you’re interested in catching Ballers broadcasts, Jason Burke at SI.com has a handy guide for you.

Mitch Spence is slated to lead the A’s on the mound against the Rockies tonight—let’s see if the A’s can get to streaking. Win streaking, that is. Let’s go, Oakland!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s steal 5-4 win late with a pair of home runs
• A’s activate Scott Alexander off IL
• Inside the movement to make life hell for the billionaires taking the A’s away from Oakland
• Oakland Ballers win franchise debut, beat Glacier Range 7-6 behind Austin Davis’ 5 hits ($)
• How to Watch the Oakland Ballers This Season

MLB News & Interest:

• MLB Power Rankings: Braves, Cubs take a dive; plus prospects on the brink ($)
• Cubs Moving Kyle Hendricks To Bullpen
• Bobby Witt Jr. or Gunnar Henderson? Why the All-Star vote for AL shortstop won’t be easy ($)
• Edmundo Sosa’s story of love and loss: How a big dream was born in a tiny bedroom ($)
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Injury updates.

Video game stats.

One might expect more May wins with hitters like these.

A big hole in that old “low attendance” narrative.

Ballers Opening Day roster.

Is it just me, or does the outfield fence look like it’s 600 feet out from this perspective?