The Athletics’ trip through this series has turned into a mess fast, and Tuesday’s 12-4 loss to the Rays made that plain. After a clean win over the Red Sox in the previous series, there was at least a flicker of hope that the A’s might hang around with one of baseball’s best. Instead, they followed Monday’s collapse of a four-run lead in the eighth with a game that looked over almost immediately.
Mason Barnett’s start underscored how thin the margin is for this group right now. The Athletics’ rotation has actually shown signs of life since the break, with Jacob Lopez emerging as a rising star, Gage Jump improving start to start, and JT Ginn standing as the club’s overall ace.
But Barnett’s outing made it clear the next step isn’t coming this season. That much is already obvious, yet getting beaten before the fourth inning even settles in is a brutal reminder of how rough this year has become.
The part that stings is that Barnett is filling in for Jeffrey Springs, who might be even worse. The pitching shuffle has also brought Yunior Tur back into the mix after Hayden Juenger was sent down, a move that raised eyebrows at the time. Juenger’s collapse against Boston was ugly, but outside of that, he had been a solid reliever for the Athletics and had generally done more good than Tur has so far.
Tur’s numbers tell the story. In three outings this year, he has a 32.79 ERA and a 3.86 WHIP. The Athletics are clearly reaching and hoping one of these moves sticks, but in this case the dart landed outside the wall in center field.
There was at least one bright spot again in Lawrence Butler. He’s been one of the more fascinating players on the roster this season, missing preseason expectations but also flashing stretches where he looks unstoppable. Against the Rays, he went 3-for-8 with a run and two RBIs, and he added a two-run home run in Tuesday’s loss.
If Butler can keep producing like that, and if Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom help carry the load with him, there’s at least a path for the Athletics to claw back toward something better. If he slips again, though, they’re right back where they started.
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 🡒]