The Athletics came into Houston hoping to turn the page after being swept by the Royals. Instead, they ran straight into a blank night at the plate.
Even with JT Ginn on the mound, Oakland never found a way to put pressure on the Astros. The offense was held scoreless for the first time since Aug. 2, and that’s the kind of result that wipes out any talk of building momentum against a divisional opponent.
A win here could have opened the door to a strong run. Instead, the Athletics walked out with a shutout loss that made that idea feel far-fetched.
The numbers tell the story plainly. As a team, the Athletics went 3-for-30 and drew five walks, but they couldn’t cash in when it mattered.
They finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position - McNeil 0-1, Walton 0-1, Muncy 0-1, Butler 0-1, Bolte 0-1 - and stranded eight runners overall. Max Muncy was the biggest offender there, leaving four on base.
For a lineup already missing Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and now Tyler Soderstrom, this kind of night was always a risk. Still, with Ginn pitching, it was the sort of game Oakland simply had to avoid.
Jonah Heim has been expected to help fill some of the production gap with Langeliers out for the season, but the bat is not cooperating. He has gone hitless in his last five games and is batting just .077 in his last 39 at-bats.
That’s a rough stretch for a player the Athletics need to give them something offensively. At the same time, Heim did throw out two runners in this game, which helped keep Oakland within striking distance longer than the offense deserved.
His defense is holding up; now the bat has to follow.
There was at least a brighter note in Elvis Alvarado’s night. His season has been uneven, with a 4.39 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, and the control issues have been a real problem.
He sits in the 15th percentile in walk rate, and when hitters do connect, the damage has often followed, with his barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage near the bottom of the league. But Alvarado worked another efficient outing, needing just 11 pitches to record nine strikes, and his recent control gains suggest there may still be something more there.
His fastball velocity sits in the 96th percentile, and his expected batting average ranks in the 84th percentile, so the raw stuff is clearly in place. If the command keeps moving in the right direction, he could become a premier reliever before long.
In Other News...
As Prospect Report Has One Pitching Bright Spot And One Growing Concern
Weather played a part in the best pitching line of the night for an As farmhand, with Jorge Marcheco turning in 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help Lansing to a shutout win over Peoria in a game that was cut short. It was the kind of outing that stands out in a busy minor league slate, especially with several Oakland affiliates in action and looking for cleaner results across the system.
There was less encouraging news elsewhere, where Las Vegas fell to Albuquerque, Midland lost to Corpus Christi and Stockton dropped its matchup with Fresno. The box scores across those games offered a mixed look at the organizations depth, and the coming schedule gives those clubs little time to dwell on it as the next round of games arrives quickly. [Read more 🡒]
A's Outfield Shakeup Could Open The Door For Johnathan Rodriguez
The Athletics roster picture has changed quickly as injuries have thinned the group and forced the club to keep looking for answers. With Tyler Soderstrom, Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers and Jacob Wilson unavailable, Oakland suddenly has more openings than expected, and that has put attention on players trying to seize a path to the majors.
Johnathan Rodriguez is one of the names who could benefit from the shuffle, especially as the As sort through outfield options with Henry Bolte and Lawrence Butler in the mix. Rodriguez has the kind of power history that can make him interesting in a hurry, and for a team leaning on depth wherever it can find it, the next call-up may come down to who is ready when the opportunity presents itself. [Read more 🡒]
A's Finally Have A Reason For Real Optimism Right Now
Lawrence Butlers second-half surge has given the Athletics a legitimate lift, and it has come at exactly the right time for a club still looking for steady offense. Since the break, Butler has settled in after a rough opening stretch, pairing better contact with the kind of power that can change a game in a hurry. For a team trying to build around younger pieces, that kind of turnaround matters.
The same goes for the pitching side, where Jacob Lopez has become the most reliable arm in the mix lately and Elvis Alvarado has quietly steadied the back end of games. Lopez has paired run prevention with strikeouts, while Alvarado has given the As a useful late-inning option over his last 15 appearances. If Oakland is going to carry this stretch forward, it will need both the renewed bat and the sharper arms to keep lining up. [Read more 🡒]