Watch Philadelphia Phillies at Oakland Athletics

On August 31st, 2021, the Philadelphia Phillies traveled to Oakland to take on the Athletics in an exciting matchup between two playoff contenders. The Phillies entered the game with a record of 67-64 and were in second place in the NL East while the A's were 72-60 and in second place in the AL West.

The starting pitchers for the game were Aaron Nola for the Phillies and James Kaprielian for the A's. Nola had a solid season so far, with an ERA of 4.30 and 189 strikeouts in 157 innings pitched. Kaprielian had been a bright spot for the A's rotation, with a 3.87 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 103 innings pitched.

The game started off slowly, with both teams going scoreless through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, the Phillies broke through with a solo home run from Bryce Harper, who had been having a fantastic season with a .298 batting average and 28 home runs.

The A's responded in the bottom of the fifth with a home run of their own from Mark Canha. Canha had been a crucial part of the A's lineup, with a .243 batting average and 19 home runs on the season.

After six innings, the score was tied 1-1, and both starting pitchers had delivered solid performances. Nola had struck out eight batters through six innings while Kaprielian had five strikeouts.

In the top of the seventh, the Phillies regained the lead with an RBI single from Jean Segura. Segura had been a reliable hitter for the Phillies all season, with a .303 batting average and 40 RBIs.

The A's threatened in the bottom of the eighth, putting runners on second and third with two outs. However, Phillies reliever Archie Bradley was able to get out of the jam with a clutch strikeout of A's slugger Matt Olson.

In the top of the ninth, the Phillies added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly from J.T. Realmuto, who had been one of the best catchers in baseball with a .270 batting average and 13 home runs.

The A's weren't able to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, and the Phillies came away with a 3-1 victory. Nola earned the win for the Phillies, improving his record to 7-7 on the season, while Kaprielian took the loss, dropping his record to 7-5.

The game was a crucial one for both teams, as they were both fighting for playoff spots. The Phillies were able to gain ground on the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East, while the A's continued to hold onto their position in the AL Wild Card race.

Overall, it was a well-played game by both teams, featuring solid performances from the starting pitchers and clutch hitting from key players. The Phillies were able to come out on top in a close game, but both teams showed why they are contenders for the postseason.