Pinch hitter Lawrence Butler belted a two-run home run to help the Oakland Athletics beat the host Philadelphia Phillies 6–2 on Friday.
Shea Langeliers added two RBI singles and Brent Rooker contributed two singles and an RBI for the A’s in the opener of a three-game series. Miguel Andujar also had an RBI single.
Athletics starter Hogan Harris gave up three hits and two runs with six walks and no strikeouts in three innings. Osvaldo Bido (1–1) earned the win with three innings of scoreless relief.
Mason Miller struck out Brandon Marsh on a 101 mph fastball to end the game.
Cristian Pache hit an RBI double and Edmundo Sosa added an RBI single for the Phillies, who lost after recording a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Phillies starter Ranger Suarez (10–4) tossed six innings and allowed six hits and four runs with six strikeouts and three walks.
Butler hit a two-run homer to center in the eighth inning for a 6–2 lead. It was the first pinch-hit homer of his career.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner was called out on strikes for the second out in the eighth and was immediately thrown out of the game for arguing with plate umpire David Rackley.
Philadelphia then got two runners aboard when Bryce Harper walked and Alec Bohm singled, but Nick Castellanos lined out to right to strand them.
The Phillies went ahead 1-0 in the second inning when Pache lofted an RBI double to right field. Kyle Schwarber then walked and the bases were loaded with two outs. Turner fouled out to first base to end the threat.
Max Schuemann hit an infield single in the third for the first hit of the night off Suarez. Daz Cameron walked, and Andujar, Rooker and Langeliers followed with back-to-back-to-back RBI singles.
Sosa hit an RBI single in the third to close the Phillies within 3–2.
In the fifth, Langeliers ripped another RBI single for a 4–2 lead.
