OAKLAND — It was the opponent on the mound that hurt the A’s most Monday night, first baseman Yonder Alonso insisted, not the environment inside the ballpark.
The A’s went down quietly against Tampa Bay, as Jake Odorizzi and two Rays relievers held Oakland to just two hits in a 3-2 loss before a crowd of 9,736, the smallest at the Coliseum since the 2011 season.
Not that this was particularly unusual for the A’s. Their Monday night home crowds typically are very light throughout the season. Add in the fact the A’s are in last place and the Rays are not a great box-office draw, and the ingredients were there for the smallest home turnout in six seasons.