The A’s and Giants turned the Battle of the Bay into a mess with a series of defensive gaffes. It started when Darren Ruf misplayed a routine pop-up in left field. The ball hit off his glove and fell, confusing Robbie Grossman on the bases. Grossman hesitated, thinking it would be caught, then tried to scramble back. The defense had a chance to force him out at second but botched the throw. Eventually, they cleaned it up and got the force, but not without a lot of confusion. Grossman stood on the field, hands on his hips, clearly frustrated. Ruf seemed to mentally check out after the play, wandering around like the inning was over.
Things didn’t improve on the next play. With two outs and runners on the corners, the A’s hit another fly ball to deep center. The fielder looked unsure, misjudged it, and couldn’t make the grab. The commentary called it unnecessary and sloppy. Then another high pop-up to right field gave Ruf a shot at redemption, but the ball again bounced off his glove. A run scored as a result. No one seemed surprised at this point. The pitcher’s body language said it all: frustration, disbelief, and zero confidence in the defense. They finally ended the inning when the infield stepped up and handled a routine grounder.
Despite the rough defense, Ruf’s numbers at the plate have been strong in September. He’s hitting .343 with a 1.182 OPS, so while he struggled in the field, he’s been a key part of the offense. Still, the defensive lapses overshadowed everything in this sloppy inning.