The Athletics finally gave themselves something to smile about in Boston, and it was enough to lift them out of the very bottom of Bleacher Report’s power rankings.
After a miserable stretch that had them stuck at No. 30, Joel Reuter moved the A’s up to No. 27 following a series win over the Red Sox. The bump comes on the heels of a much-needed breakthrough: Oakland snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday and then sealed the series on Sunday with a game-winning RBI double from Max Muncy off Aroldis Chapman.
It’s a notable turn for a club that has been hammered by injuries all season. On the pitching side, Luis Severino and Mark Leiter Jr. are on the 60-day IL, while Jeffrey Springs is on the 15-day IL.
The absences haven’t stopped there. The offense has also been missing Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, and Zack Gelof.
That backdrop made the timing of the Boston series especially important. The Athletics had just been swept in a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds before heading to face a Red Sox team that has been playing as well as anyone lately. Instead of another slide, they came away with a 2-1 series win.
Reuter summed up the situation this way: "The Athletics snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday, then secured a series win over the red-hot Red Sox on Sunday thanks to a game-winning, RBI double by Max Muncy off Aroldis Chapman. An ugly 7-25 record since the beginning of July made the series win in Boston all the more unlikely, but it's enough to get them off the first page for at least one week."
The challenge does not let up from here. The Athletics head into a week with games against the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers.
In Other News...
Mason Barnett Faces A Bigger As Test Than It Might Seem
The Athletics are handing Mason Barnett a start against the Rays, and it comes at an interesting point in his young big league path. The right-hander has bounced between Triple-A and the majors, and after spending time in relief for Oakland, he is now moving back into a starting role. For a club still trying to sort out pieces for the long term, these kinds of looks matter as much for evaluation as they do for the scoreboard.
Barnett was once ranked fourth in the As system by MLB.com, which helps explain why the organization keeps finding ways to get him on the mound in meaningful spots. Oakland is treating this as more than just a spot assignment, using the opportunity to see whether he can grow into a future starter and become part of the rotation picture down the line. [Read more 🡒]
As Face Mounting Pressure As Mason Barnett Becomes Key Vs Rays
The Athletics had enough offense and even got seven innings from Jacob Lopez in a recent game, only to watch a late collapse erase the good work. Base running remains part of the conversation, but the bigger concern is how much the pitching staff has been asked to cover when starters do not get deep enough, leaving the relief corps to absorb a heavy load at exactly the wrong time.
Mason Barnett now steps into that pressure point against the Rays, and his recent outings have made the fifth inning feel like a threshold Oakland needs him to push past. If he can give the bullpen some breathing room, it would go a long way toward stabilizing a group that has already been stretched thin and needs a cleaner night to keep the Athletics in position to compete. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Bullpen Shuffle Just Cost Them Another Lefty Arm
The Athletics added another arm to their pitching mix this week, claiming left-hander Drew Rom off waivers from the Brewers and giving him a spot on the 40-man roster without having to make a corresponding move. Rom has bounced between starting and relieving before, which gives Oakland some flexibility as it keeps looking for ways to shore up a bullpen that can use as much left-handed depth as it can get.
Roms path through Milwaukee was a moving target for much of the season, with repeated recalls and option assignments before the Brewers designated him for assignment. Oakland is betting that the 24-year-old can settle in after all that shuffle and provide useful innings, even if his role is still being sorted out. For now, the move is another low-cost look at a pitcher with some versatility and a chance to carve out a place on a staff that is always in need of fresh options. [Read more 🡒]