The Athletics’ slide got uglier on Friday, and the number that jumps off the page is hard to ignore: 19 runs allowed in a loss to the Nationals. That made it 10 straight defeats for the A’s, who have now dropped 14 of their last 15 and sit fourth in the A.L. West.
Henry Bolte’s rough stretch was a major part of the story. He had been building toward a breakout by the end of the season thanks to his speed and ability to score runs, and his defensive range had made him look like a rising star.
But the last 10 games have been a different picture entirely, with Bolte batting just .121 and collecting four hits in 33 at-bats. Friday turned into a nightmare when he misplayed three balls in the sixth inning, and those miscues led to six Nationals runs.
If he can’t straighten things out soon, he may be headed to Las Vegas.
Tyler Soderstrom was one of the few bright spots, and maybe the only real one on offense. He entered the game hitting .242 with an .817 OPS and 15 home runs, and he added a two-run homer in the loss. That was about as close as the Athletics came to having a meaningful offensive moment.
Soderstrom has been one of the club’s best players this season, and the hope is that he can help spark something alongside Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Jacob Wilson. The Athletics have looked like a team with bats that flash at the right moments but never quite cash in on a full eruption, and that has left them stuck in this brutal stretch.
The bullpen had its own ugly night. Excluding Carlos Cortes, the relievers gave up 12 runs, with six of them coming in that sixth-inning avalanche.
There were a few exceptions, but not nearly enough to change the tone of the game or the larger picture. Right now, the relief group simply is not getting the job done.
Brady Basso did manage a hitless inning in the top of the eighth, but by then the score was already 18-2, so it was little more than a footnote. Looking ahead to the rest of the series, the Athletics are expected to get pitching from Elvis Alvarado and Luis Medina, though given how this season has gone, that feels more like hope than a sure thing.
In Other News...
A's Just Made Another Roster Move That Could Signal More Coming
The Athletics latest roster shuffle came on the heels of a much-needed reset on the field, one that finally gave them something positive to point to after a rough stretch. Their 15-1 win over the Nationals snapped a 10-game losing streak, with J.T. Ginn turning in a strong outing and Jacob Wilson helping spark the offense from the top of the lineup.
Even with that win in the books, the front office kept moving, and the timing suggests this may not be the last change. Oakland has already dealt Aaron Civale and added a minor league arm in return, while the club also made another transaction involving Justin Sterner, Geoff Hartlieb and Joey Meneses. For a team still sorting out its pitching depth and bench mix, the next move feels like it could be just around the corner. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Deadline Focus Just Raised The Stakes For An Injury Hit Staff
With the trade deadline closing in on Aug. 3, the market is starting to take shape, and the Braves are already being linked to the kind of pitching help that usually comes at a premium. Atlanta is looking for a playoff-caliber starter or reliever, which only adds urgency across the league for clubs trying to line up the right fit before the deadline chatter turns into actual deals.
For Oakland, the bigger picture is different. The As are expected to sell, and the logic is familiar for a team in that spot: move veterans or other appealing pieces and try to bring back young pitching, the one area every rebuilding club can never seem to stockpile enough. The next few days should tell whether that plan turns into real movement or just more calls and speculation. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Lopez Suddenly Gives The A's Rotation Hope They Desperately Needed
Jacob Lopezs path back into the Athletics rotation has been anything but straightforward. He began the year struggling as a starter, got sent to the minors, then returned in a bullpen role before the club needed him again after the Aaron Civale trade. Now hes suddenly in the third spot of the rotation, a turn that says as much about the As search for answers as it does about Lopezs own progress.
The encouraging part for Oakland is that Lopezs recent work has given the staff something it badly needed: a reason to believe the rotation might not be a total dead end. His first start back was strong enough to matter even if it was brief, and it comes at a time when the As are trying to sort out whether they need to chase another starter or can keep building from within. If Lopez holds this level, the ripple effect could shape how the front office approaches the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]