A’s Epic Comeback vs. Mets: Longest Game of Pitch-Clock Era

The Oakland Athletics pulled off an incredible comeback against the New York Mets on Thursday, winning 7-6 in the longest regular-season nine-inning game of the MLB pitch-clock era. The matinee took three hours and 45 minutes to complete, with a total of 425 pitches thrown – the highest of any nine-inning game this season.

Oakland manager Mark Kotsay praised his team’s resilience, saying, “It felt like the longest game of the pitch-clock era. It’s an incredible team win today. It took basically the whole roster. That was a grind in every way.”

The A’s trailed by five runs in the early innings, but a grand slam from JJ Bleday in the fourth inning brought them within one run. The comeback was fueled by a wild pitch in the fifth inning and a sixth-inning rally led by Tyler Nevin and Seth Brown.

Mason Miller, who earned his first career two-inning save, said, “It felt good. Get the boys in there with a win. Let’s get out of here with a series win, too.” Miller’s six-out save was a career first.

The A’s flight back to the East Bay from New York is six hours, and Miller is excited to board the team jet. “I got to stay up with the boys for this flight, maybe put the feet up for a little bit,” he said. “We earned this flight, it’s going to be a good time coming home.”

The A’s now stand at 52-70 and 5-2 in their last seven games. Only time will tell if they have more history-making moments like Thursday’s classic, which came during their 57th and final season as Oakland residents.