Tyler Soderstrom extended his on-base streak to an MLB-leading 25 games, while Zack Gelof notched a hit in his 20th straight game (another MLB-high) — and that was before the end of a four-run first. 

That lead would not hold up, as the game was tied entering the ninth inning and the A's latest potential closer, Elvis Alvarado, gave up a go-ahead homer to Brandon Lowe, making it 6-5. Nick Kurtz dropped a one-out single into left field, and Shea Langeliers followed that with a single up the middle to put the go-ahead run on first, but a Soderstrom strikeout and Jacob Wilson fly out ended the game in defeat. 

The A’s jumped out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to a retooled lineup, but that was only part of the story Tuesday night. The other half was the up-and-down performance from starter Jack Perkins.

After getting two outs in the fifth, Perkins walked a pair of batters before buckling down to strike out Brandon Lowe, earning a chance to begin the sixth.

Perkins also didn't finish strongly, with manager Mark Kotsay pulling him two batters into the sixth inning after a leadoff home run from Bryan Reynolds and a hard-hit double from Ryan O'Hearn. That runner came around to score, leading to a final line of five innings, six hits, three earned runs, two walks and six strikeouts.

Spotted a four-run lead, the coaching staff typically looks for their pitchers to go out and attack hitters with that cushion, which he did at times. Those last few batters certainly changed the complexion of his outing. That said, he completed a season-high five-plus innings in his third start of the season, which is a step in the right direction.

Perkins himself said as much after the game. "For me, I feel like this needs to be my baseline. This needs to be my normal. Obviously a lot of positives to take away from tonight, but still a few things I need to clean up. In that sixth inning [I was] a little tired, but in those moments, execution is key."

After a three-RBI single in the first, Gelof added a run of insurance with his tenth homer of the season, giving the A's a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth. The homer is his fourth in a torrid month of June that has seen him go 19-for-53 (.358). He added a walk and a stolen base in the eighth to his 3-for-3 evening. 

Bryan Reynolds notched his second home run of the night, this time a two-run shot, on a ball that sailed just beyond the outstretched glove of Lawrence Butler in right field. The blast tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh. 

In the bottom of the first, Wilson was the trail runner on Gelof's bases-clearing single, and he threw in a nifty swim move as he slid into home to avoid the tag. His expression after avoiding the tag was a mixture of "wow that actually worked" and "did you guys see that?"

The second play was with the glove in the sixth inning. Charging in on a slow chopper with little chance to get the runner at first, Wilson instead spotted the baserunner taking off for third. He wheeled around to fire a strike to third base, where the A's won the rundown with Endy Rodríguez.

These two moments are why the A's missed having him in their lineup so much during his month-long stint on the IL. 

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