The Athletics’ recent momentum took a hit in a game that felt there to be had.
After a strong series opener, they let Game 2 slip away in a way that was hard to ignore. With the season nearly finished, losses at this stage do not carry the same punch, but this one stood out because it did not have to unfold that way. A few better decisions could have changed the shape of it.
The bullpen, at least, kept doing its part. Since Aug. 31, the Athletics’ relief corps has been one of the better groups in the American League, ranking fifth with a 3.21 ERA in 33.2 innings. That recent run has been fueled by several multi-inning outings, and this game followed that pattern.
Chris Roycroft gave the club 2.0 innings and allowed three hits. Geoff Hartlieb added another 2.0 innings and gave up just one hit. For a bullpen that has had plenty of rough stretches this season, getting four innings of that kind from those two was another sign that the group is trending in the right direction.
Donovan Walton also turned in a strong performance in defeat. He went 2-for-3 and launched a home run late in the seventh inning.
It did not change the outcome, but it added to what has been a steady season for him. Walton is hitting .272 with an .831 OPS.
That makes him a player worth watching closely as the season winds down. With the infield expected to be healthy by Opening Day, the Athletics still have to sort out who fits as the backup and utility option in the everyday mix, and Walton’s place in that picture matters.
The bigger issue in this series has been how Mark Kotsay handled his starters. This was the second straight game in which he let a starter work an inning longer than expected.
In the opener, Jacob Lopez fell apart in the seventh and gave up three runs. In Game 2, Jack Perkins started to unravel in the sixth before being removed, and by then the bullpen could not clean it up without damage.
Perkins had not really been getting beyond the fifth inning this season, and pushing him for another frame did not look like the best call. Lopez has been a strong pitcher in the second half, but even then, trusting the bullpen in the seventh would have made more sense. In the end, Kotsay’s attempts to squeeze extra outs from his starters led to zero outs and five earned runs across the series.
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As Final Stretch Could Shape More Than Just Draft Position
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Front-office timing may matter just as much as the on-field finish. Oakland is staring at a potentially shortened offseason if the MLB lockout cuts into the usual window for free agency and trades, which could make leadership decisions more urgent than normal. If the A's want to get a jump on roster building, the search for a new general manager may need to move quickly. [Read more 🡒]