Yankees’ rally falls short for second straight night, lose to A’s 3-2

Over the last couple months when the New York Yankees mounted a comeback it was typically all the way back and they found a way to win. The last two nights in Oakland have shown the same resiliency, but the results have come up short on the win side.

After Robinson Cano hit a game-tying solo home run in the ninth, the A’s got a walk-off single from Brandon Moss in the bottom half of the inning for their second straight win against the Yankees and fifth walk-off win in their last nine home games.

The Yankees’ offense was once again stomped by an Athletics rookie starter. Tommy Milone went seven scoreless innings, scattering six hits with no walks and struck out a career-high ten batters.

Yankees’ starter Ivan Nova made it through 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits, one walk and struck out six. Thanks to an eighth inning homer by Russell Martin and Cano’s tying homer in the ninth, Nova was taken off the hook for the loss.

Cano’s homer off A’s closer Ryan Cook was his second hit of the night, as he had earlier extended his hit streak to 23 games with a seventh-inning single. But the happiness from tying the game lasted just a handful of batters into the bottom of the ninth.

Clay Rapada struck out Josh Reddick for the first out and gave way to Cody Eppley. Eppley, one of the bigger surprises of the season, was touched for three straight singles, the last by Moss scoring Yoenis Cespedes from second base.

The Yankees (57-36) have now lost two straight and their lead in the AL East has shrunk to eight games over the Baltimore Orioles. The A’s (49-44) have won three straight and eight out of ten. They gained a game on the Texas Rangers in the AL West (6.5 back) and remain one-half game out of a wild card spot.

In tonight’s game the Yankees send Phil Hughes (9-7, 4.22) to the mound to face the last of three-straight rookies in Athletics’ righty Jarrod Parker (6-4, 3.16 ERA). Hughes took a no-decision in his last start going seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Parker won his last outing despite allowing four runs in six innings at Minnesota.