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OAKLAND http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-brian-o_neill-jersey , Calif. — Two teams that began heading in opposite directions at just about the time they saw each other last month hook up again when the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics open a two-game interleague series Tuesday night.

The Padres were within arm’s length of .500 at 34-40, having won nine of 15, when the A’s ventured into San Diego and used a ninth-inning, two-out, two-strike, game-tying home run from Stephen Piscotty off relief ace Brad Hand to trigger a two-game sweep, winning 4-2 and 12-4.

The Padres now head north well out of contention in the National League West, having lost 11 of 14.

The A’s, meanwhile, have won 12 of 15 to surge well above .500 at 46-39 and into contention in the American League wild-card race.

Oakland has made much of its recent run without standout third baseman Matt Chapman, who has taken time off to allow pain in his right hand to subside.

Two cortisone shots later http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-james-washington-jersey , Chapman had a pain-free hitting session Sunday and was sent to Class A for an injury-rehab game Monday.

It’s possible he could be reinstated from the disabled list during this series.

“He hit a few off the back wall in center field, so that tells me enough,” A’s manager Bob Melvin observed Sunday. “Getting him back in the lineup will be a nice little kick for us.”

The A’s need no such boost in their pitching. They have allowed two or fewer runs in four of their last five games.

Right-hander Chris Bassitt (1-3, 2.82 ERA) will look to extend that impressive run while at the same time taste his first career success in interleague play.

The 29-year-old began the A’s recent pitching showcase with six innings of two-hit, scoreless ball in a 3-0 win at Detroit last Wednesday.

He has never faced the Padres in his career, and has lost both interleague starts despite a 2.45 ERA.

One intriguing potential matchup in the series is A’s closer Blake Treinen against Padres slugger Eric Hosmer, a pairing that carried a bit of history into a game-ending showdown in the A’s earlier 4-2 win in San Diego.

Then a member of the Kansas City Royals, Hosmer bombed a two-run, go-ahead homer off Treinen in the eighth inning of their first career head-to-head last August.

Treinen then extracted a measure of revenge in the June 19 rematch in San Diego, closing out the 10-inning game by striking out Hosmer as he represented the potential tying run.

Bassitt will be opposed by left-hander Clayton Richard (7-7, 4.29) Youth Derwin James Jersey , who had a four-game winning streak stopped in a 5-2 loss at Texas last Wednesday.

He retains a good interleague record (9-5, 3.50) despite not having beaten an American League opponent since 2015.

You have to go back three years before that to find his last appearance against the A’s in Oakland, but it was a memorable one. He shut out a playoff-bound A’s team for 7 2/3 innings in 2012, allowing five hits in a 2-1 win.

He has faced the A’s three times in his career, twice as a starter, and gone 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA.

One A’s hitter that Richard will have to deal with is the aforementioned Piscotty, who played last season for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Piscotty has dominated the head-to-heads, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a flyout to deep center field in the only non-hit of the matchup.

A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy, another former National Leaguer, also has a successful history against Richard, going 7-for-18 (.389) with two doubles and a homer.

J.T. Realmuto was focused purely on putting the ball in play with the bases loaded and two strikes on him.

He ended up putting it out of play.

Realmuto hit a grand slam during a five-run seventh inning and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 6-2 Saturday.

With one out Youth Uchenna Nwosu Jersey , Realmuto fouled off three pitches against struggling reliever Bryan Shaw before lining an elevated cutter just over the right-field wall. The drive helped Miami stop a three-game skid and ended the Rockies’ winning streak at four.

”Early, I felt like I was trying to do a little too much in that at-bat,” Realmuto said. ”Once I got to two strikes I was really just trying to fight and put the ball in play. That’s really it.”

Shaw said he threw the pitch he wanted against Realmuto. It just ended with a bad result.

”We executed where we wanted to and he hit it,” Shaw said.

Trevor Richards (2-4) gave up one run and three hits in six innings, striking out eight. He also singled for his first hit in the majors.

The 25-year-old rookie was 0-3 with a 7.40 ERA on the road coming into the day at Coors Field.

”He set the tone,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ”He kept us in the game and gave us a chance.”

Rockies starter Tyler Anderson (4-3) was sharp before allowing three consecutive hits to open the seventh, including an RBI single from pinch-hitter Justin Bour that chased the lefty and put the Marlins ahead 2-1. Starlin Castro then loaded the bases after video review reversed an out call and ruled him safe with an infield single.

An out later, Realmuto hit his second career grand slam. His first came on Aug. 12, 2015 against the Boston Red Sox.

”J.T.’s great, you know he’s not afraid,” Mattingly said. ”He’s not bothered by anything out there. He’s one of the guys that you like being up there. I remember telling him last year Youth Terrelle Pryor Sr. Jersey , at one point he was struggling, and I just told him `there’s no one I like up there better than you’, because you always feel like he’s not afraid and nothing is going to bother him up there.”

Gerardo Parra hit a solo homer in the seventh to bring Colorado within 6-2. Parra drove both runs for the Rockies, who fell back below .500 (38-39).

Derek Dietrich hit his 10th home run of the season off Anderson in the fourth to put the Marlins up 1-0. Colorado tied it on Parra’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: SS Miguel Rojas was a late scratch with soreness from a bruise on his left hand.

Rockies: RHP Scott Oberg (back strain) and LHP Mike Dunn (shoulder strain) were slated to begin rehab assignments in Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.

NEW ROLE FOR SHAW?

Colorado manager Bud Black wasn’t opposed to the idea of moving Shaw into a different role in the bullpen as he continues to struggle.

”That’s possible,” Black said. ”We have some guys coming back that might potentially be able to go that way to give Bryan a little step back.”

TRANSACTION

The Rockies called up INF Pat Valaika and optioned RHP Yency Almonte to Triple-A Albuquerque.

WELCOME BACK

The Rockies welcomed back a few of their former players as the organization celebrated their 25th year anniversary. Todd Helton and Larry Walker were among those in attendance. Prior to the game, they returning players posed for selfies with fans and a couple of them took a few swings in a batting practice. Former Rockies third baseman Vinny Castilla – who is 50 – hit a couple well over the fence in left to the oohs and ahhs of the crowd.

UP NEXT

Marlins: LHP Caleb Smith (5-6, 4.03 ERA) takes the mound for the series finale Sunday. Smith has gone 3-4 with a 4.89 ERA on the road this season.

Rockies: RHP German Marquez (5-7, 5.20 ERA) is 1-2 with a 7.77 in his four starts in June. He got the win against the Mets on Tuesday after allowing four runs in six innings.