The Athletics are in a rough stretch, and the warning signs have been piling up fast. The offense has stalled, the starting rotation is shaky, and Mark Kotsay’s pitching choices have only added to the mess.
After getting swept by the Orioles, the club needed a sharp response in the series against the Rangers. Instead, the early returns have only deepened the concern.
Even with the problems around them, the A’s offense had at least been scraping together enough production to stay afloat. Entering the Rangers series, they were averaging 4.1 runs per game over their previous 10.
That number isn’t going to turn heads, but given the injuries this roster has dealt with, it was at least serviceable. With the pitching trending in the wrong direction, though, the lineup has to do more than just hang around.
The path back starts with the regulars doing what they’re supposed to do. Henry Bolte and Jeff McNeil need to give the A’s the kind of spark at the top of the order that changes an inning in a hurry.
Zack Gelof and Tommy White have to put the ball in play and hit for average. Lawrence Butler, who has been driving in runs since the break, needs to keep doing exactly that.
The ingredients are there. The question is whether the group can actually string them together when it matters.
The rotation situation has shifted in a hurry, too. The Athletics went into the series thinking they might have the edge on the mound, but Gage Jump’s rough outing in the opener changed that quickly, and JT Ginn’s start was pushed back to the upcoming Mariners series. That leaves Brady Basso in a much bigger spot than expected as the potential starter in what could decide the series.
Basso’s most recent outing as an opener was not pretty. Against the Astros, he worked 1.0 innings and gave up four hits and three earned runs.
Still, there is at least a little reason for optimism. Over his last 4.0 innings pitched, he has allowed only three hits and one earned run.
If he can somehow get the A’s into the fourth inning, that would be enough to give them a real shot in Game 2 and maybe carry that momentum into the finale with Jacob Lopez on the mound.
A lot of the recent frustration circles back to Kotsay, especially on the pitching side. In the series finale against the Orioles and again in the ugly opener against the Rangers, he left Jeffrey Springs and Gage Jump in for an extra inning even when the collapse felt unavoidable.
The bullpen management has been just as messy. Pitchers have been showing up in the wrong spots, and other times they’re pulled too early, which burns through fresh arms before the team really needs them.
That approach has helped put the Athletics behind early and left the relief corps without much stability or availability. Too many of the decisions have felt forced, and the results have followed.
In Other News...
As September Slide Is Starting To Raise A Bigger Concern
A late-season stumble is starting to feel a little more pointed for the Athletics after they dropped the series opener to the Rangers, 8-1, on Monday night. The loss pushed Oakland to four straight defeats and turned what had been a difficult stretch into a sharper concern, especially with the offense mostly quiet against Jacob deGrom and the game getting away early.
Rookie Gage Jump was hit hard in the start, and the As are still sorting through what comes next on the mound. They have not announced a starter for the next game after skipping J.T. Ginn, while the Rangers are set to come back with MacKenzie Gore, leaving Oakland with another important decision to make as the slide keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Denzel Clarkes Return Could Create A New As Outfield Dilemma
Denzel Clarke is finally on track to rejoin the Athletics as rosters expand to 28 players, giving the club another option in the outfield at a time when playing time is already a moving target. Clarke has missed most of the season while working back from a foot bone bruise and a high-grade left hamstring strain, and Oakland is hopeful the extra runway of the final month will give him a chance to settle in and help.
His return also puts a little more pressure on how the Athletics sort out center and right field down the stretch, where Henry Bolte has continued to see action. The club wants Clarke healthy enough to contribute, but the bigger question now is how much of a role there will be once he is back in the mix and how the A's decide to distribute those reps as the season winds down. [Read more 🡒]
Athletics May Have Found The Bullpen Answer They Desperately Needed
The Athletics pitching staff has spent much of this season trying to survive injuries and uneven results, and the bullpen has been hit especially hard after the club lost key additions Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow. In that kind of scramble, every competent arm matters, which is why right-hander Scott Blewett has become such an important name in Oaklands relief mix after arriving from St. Louis. The As needed stability in the late innings, and Blewett has given them a reason to believe they may have found at least part of the answer.
Elvis Alvarado is still expected to handle the closer role for the rest of the season, but the more interesting development is the way Blewett has helped reshape the innings leading up to him. His early work has looked promising enough to earn trust in high-leverage spots, giving Oakland a badly needed option in a bullpen that has spent most of the year searching for one. For a team fighting through pitching turbulence, finding even one reliever who can settle things down can change the feel of a game. [Read more 🡒]