After going 4-2 during their six-game stay in Las Vegas, the Athletics returned to West Sacramento last night. The team’s pitching staff was likely happy to put Southern Nevada in the rearview mirror following yesterday’s 23-9 loss to the Colorado Rockies. In the opening and closing games of the homestand at Las Vegas Ballpark, A’s pitchers surrendered a combined 42 hits and 38 runs.
This evening, the team shifts temporary homes, welcoming the Pittsburgh Pirates to Sutter Health Ballpark for a three-game
interleague series. The Pirates will be the A’s third consecutive National League (NL) opponent. Last week in Las Vegas, the “Green and Gold” took two out of three from the Milwaukee Brewers before doing the same against the Rockies.
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After allowing the Rockies to score a franchise-record 23 runs, it would not have been surprising to see the A’s drastically shake up their bullpen or even part ways with pitching coach Scott Emerson, who has been in that role since 2017. Unfortunately,Emerson is still employed as is veteran reliever Scott Barlow, whose fastball velocity does not even top 90 mph these days.
While the hitter-friendly conditions and triple-digit temperatures in “Sin City” did their pitchers no favors, the A’s ongoing inability to consistently prevent runs remains the franchise’s biggest weakness. It is a problem that has lingered for years and continues to block the team’s path from rebuilding team to American League playoff contender.
The A’s only pitching move on Monday was optioning Brady Basso to Triple-A. Basso had been recalled just a few days ago and appeared in Sunday’s embarrassing loss. Taking his place on the active roster is right-hander Luis Morales, who started the season in the A’s rotation before being demoted following multiple bad performances. Will Morales make the most of his second chance, or will the bullpen carousel continue to spin?
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Right-hander J.T. Ginn, who is having a breakout campaign, gets the ball to begin part two of the A’s extended homestand. He enters his 13th start of the season with a 4-3 record, a 3.15 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 65 strikeouts over 71 1/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old earned the win in his last outing against the Milwaukee Brewers, allowing five runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings pitched. Although it was arguably his worst outing since settling into a rhythm as a starter, it was still one of the A’s better starting pitching performances during their week in Las Vegas.
Making his first career start against the Pirates, the A’s need Ginn to do what he does best: throw strikes and keep the ball on the ground. A quality start from the right-hander would help set the tone at a ballpark that has not been kind to the team this season and reduce the need for the A’s to rely as heavily on their struggling bullpen.
Now onto the starting lineup. Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay decided to order things up for the series opener:
This starting nine is miles better defensively than the group the Athletics put on the field yesterday. With Henry Bolte in center field, Lawrence Butler can slide back to his natural position in right, while all Carlos Cortes has to focus on is getting on base.
Jeff McNeil, currently mired in a major slump, starts at second base and hits ninth. As a result, Alika Williams, who has been playing better and contributing more than McNeil, will start the game on the bench.
One final takeaway is that shortstop Jacob Wilson is, for some reason, batting fourth. That spot is usually reserved for power-hitters like Nick Kurtz, not contact-oriented hitters like Wilson. It may make more sense for Wilson to swap places with Kurtz or catcher Shea Langeliers, which would better balance the A’s lineup.
Those bats will be facing Pirates’ right-hander Jared Jones, who has gone 1-0 in just three starts in his return from elbow surgery. The Pirates are glad to have him back, as Jones forms a dynamic duo with Paul Skenes. Fortunately for the A’s, Skenes pitched yesterday, so he will not appear in this series. Across 13 1/3 innings, Jones owns a 4.73 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. The 24-year-old received a no-decision in his last start, limiting the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs on three hits over four innings.
Like his counterpart, Jones has never faced the Athletics before, so that unfamiliarity could lead to early success for the talented pitcher. He will, however, likely be on an innings limit as the Pirates aim to protect him from further injury.
And the Pirates’ lineup looks like this:
The Pirates are without NL Rookie of the Year candidate Konnor Griffin and power-hitting center fielder Oneil Cruz, who are both currently on the injured list. Yet, Pittsburgh’s lineup features several hitters capable of punishing A’s pitching. Second baseman Brandon Lowe has hit 17 home runs in his first season with the Pirates, while designated hitter Bryan Reynolds and right fielder Ryan O’Hearn add additional pop to the lineup. The bottom of the visitors lineup is not as strong, as it includes a couple of players filling in for the aforementioned injured starters.
Time for a bounce-back win. Let’s go A’s!
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