Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said his team is in the midst of a “perfect storm” of how things can go wrong all at once.

Mired in a nine-game losing streak, the Athletics have a tough task to halt their slide on Friday night when they open a three-game series against the National League-leading Philadelphia Phillies in West Sacramento, Calif.

The Phillies recorded their seventh consecutive victory with a 2-0 decision over the woeful Colorado Rockies in Denver on Thursday afternoon.

In a bid to keep the good times going, Philadelphia will send ace right-hander Zack Wheeler (5-1, 2.67 ERA) to the mound on Friday night.

Wheeler is 2-1 with a 6.67 ERA against the Athletics. His last start against them came on June 18, 2023, when he scattered six hits over six scoreless innings to pick up the win.

“We’ve brought some different guys up to try them in non-leverage roles, and we haven’t been able to hold games,” Kotsay said after the Athletics’ 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. “That’s kind of the story over the last two weeks and maybe longer.

“Is there a quick fix? I would love to tell you there is. We’re going to keep working. That’s all we can do. Fix those issues by cleaning up our execution and allowing guys to go through this and get better.”

Things initially looked good for the Athletics, who led 5-2 after six innings on Thursday. Starter Luis Severino allowed two runs on seven hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five.

Reliever Grant Holman struggled in the seventh inning, however. He loaded the bases and allowed Taylor Ward’s grand slam as well as a solo homer to Logan O’Hoppe.

“You get to that point in the game where you’re going to try to use (closer) Mason Miller for two innings, but we just couldn’t get there,” Kotsay said.

Brent Rooker hit a two-run homer and a double during his 3-for-4 performance for the Athletics.

Their starter on Friday has yet to be announced.

On Thursday, starter Ranger Suarez allowed six hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings for Philadelphia, with three walks and six strikeouts.

“I felt good,” Suarez said through a team interpreter, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Especially in this environment, in this type of stadium, where your pitches may not do the same that they usually do movement-wise, but the cutter was working well.”

Suarez left with two runners aboard in the bottom of the seventh before Orion Kerkering induced Hunter Goodman to pop out to end the inning. Matt Strahm worked the eighth, and Jordan Romano pitched the ninth for his sixth save of the season.

In his last nine appearances, Romano has allowed three hits and struck out 13 over nine scoreless innings.

“The day we don’t necessarily score many runs, we really pitched well and played good defense,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “It was very satisfying.”

Bryce Harper is 14-for-28 with four doubles, a home run and nine RBIs during the team’s seven-game winning streak. He had an RBI double on Thursday, and Max Kepler added another for Philadelphia.

“They work at it every day,” Thomson said. “We’ve made some adjustments, and I think they’ll continue to do it. … A couple of timely hits with Kepler and Harp. So Harp looks good at the plate right now.”

–Field Level Media