Steven Echavarria kept rolling Thursday, and the RockHounds backed him up with enough offense to beat the Hooks.
The 21-year-old right-hander was sharp from the jump in Midland, working 5 innings and giving up just 1 run on 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 8. Echavarria threw 75 pitches, with 48 going for strikes, and he has now allowed only 1 run over his last 15 innings across 3 starts for Midland.
A.J. Causey finished it off with the final three outs to earn the save.
Midland got production in the middle of the order and on the bases. Bobby Boser went 2-for-4 with a single, a double and an RBI.
Pedro Pineda added a single, a walk and a stolen base. Cameron Leary did the heavy lifting in the run column, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and 3 RBIs.
At Triple-A, Las Vegas handled Sacramento, 6-2. Davis Diaz had the loudest night in the lineup, going 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
Cole Conn chipped in with a 2-for-3 night that included a double, a walk and a run, while Shea Langeliers also doubled, drove in a run and scored. On the mound, Kade Morris picked up the win after allowing 2 earned runs in 6.1 innings, while Joe Rock struck out 3 in 1.2 hitless innings and Wander Suero worked a clean inning.
In the California League Division Series, San Jose wrapped up the series by taking Game 2 from Stockton, 3-1, and sending the Ports home. Roman Martin doubled and drove in Stockton’s lone run, while Max Durrington and Bobby Blandford each added a double.
Donny Troconis took the loss after allowing 2 earned runs in his inning of work. Jackson Phipps was strong in relief, tossing 4 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts, and Mason Patel followed with 3 innings and 1 earned run.
The A’s also made a batch of minor league coaching changes this week, relieving Todd Takayoshi, Craig Lefferts, Bryan Corey, Gabriel Ortiz, Kevin Kuntz, Ron Witmeyer, Craig Conklin, Ruben Escalera and John Foster of their duties.
Sacramento and Las Vegas are set for a 7:05 p.m. PT first pitch, while Corpus Christi and Midland are scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
PT and 7:00 p.m. CT.
In Other News...
As Just Got Shea Langeliers Back With One Big Catch
Shea Langeliers is back on the active roster just in time for the Athletics to get another middle-of-the-order bat in the mix against the Mariners. The catcher was reinstated from the 15-day injured list after being sidelined since late July with a torn meniscus, and the club is easing him in as a designated hitter while still slotting him into the cleanup spot.
The move gives Oakland a familiar presence in the lineup without asking Langeliers to immediately handle the full grind behind the plate, a sensible step after the time he missed. To make room, the A's sent infielder Darell Hernaiz to Triple-A, a reminder that every return comes with a roster cost as the club tries to balance health, production and flexibility down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
A's Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Gage Jump
The Athletics trip to Seattle turned ugly fast in Game 2, and Gage Jumps night only added to the concern around a club already searching for stability on the mound. Oakland was hammered by the Mariners and never found much resistance on either side of the ball, with Shea Langeliers providing the teams lone run in a lopsided loss that quickly got out of hand.
Jump was tagged for five runs in two innings before exiting early with shoulder tightness, a development the As will be watching closely given how little margin they have for any more pitching setbacks. The bullpen did not offer much relief after that, giving up 11 runs over 5.2 innings as Seattle piled on and left Oakland with more questions than answers heading into the rest of the series. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics Blowout Exposed A Bigger Problem Than One Ugly Night
An ugly blowout can usually be filed away as one bad night, but this one felt like something closer to a warning flare for the Athletics. The loss underscored how much strain the pitching staff is under, with the rotation still searching for stability and only JT Ginn and Jacob Lopez offering much in the way of dependable starts while other arms have drifted in the wrong direction.
Luis Severinos future is still unresolved, and the bigger concern is whether the pitching mix is good enough to support a meaningful push at all. Even the core position players were quiet in the defeat, leaving the As with more questions than answers after a game that looked less like a fluke and more like a snapshot of the problems they have been carrying for weeks. [Read more 🡒]