5. Matt Olson, 42 percent
The opener of Oakland’s three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday in Oakland was closely fought. Khris Davis’ eighth inning home run gave the Athletics a 2-1 advantage, but that edge was short-lived. In the top of the ninth, A’s closer Liam Hendricks delivered a meatball to Eric Thames that the Milwaukee slugger lined just inside the left field foul pole for a game-tying home run.
In the ninth, Freddy Peralta walked leadoff batter Robbie Grossman, who stole his way to second base with two out. But Peralta coaxed Marcus Semien into an inning-ending fly out, sending the game into extra innings.
The visiting Brewers sent their two most consistent offensive threats – Lorenzo Cain and MVP Chris Yelich – to the plate in the top of the 10th, but Blake Treinen dismissed the side without incident, fanning Yelich for the final out.
For the Brewers, that Yelich whiff turned out to be their last gasp. After Josh Hader struck out Matt Chapman to open the 10th, Olson came up and smashed Hader’s first offering over the wall in dead center. It not only hung a loss on Hader and the Brewers, it served as an omen. Two days later, Matt Chapman would similarly blast a late-game first-pitch Hader offering for a decisive home run…see below.