Game 49, Mariners at Athletics
King Felix vs. Josh Lucas, 12:35pm
Happy Felix Day.
The M’s go for a sweep in Oakland behind Felix and a bullpen that has to be feeling a bit better about itself than it did a week or two ago. After writing about how the A’s can really hit but can’t pitch, the A’s have pitched brilliantly, but lost two straight low-scoring games as the M’s simply pitched a bit better. Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales have shown flashes of effectiveness, but their overall season lines weren’t all that encouraging. But two straight throttlings of a very good line up bodes well for the M’s, even if their offense has been mostly silent.
Injuries have had a lot to do with that, of course. Mitch Haniger told reporters yesterday that he’d be fine, and ready to play today, and indeed he is. Nelson Cruz is in there as well, so the M’s are at about as close to full strength as they can legally be right now. Cruz seems to have shown the aftereffects of the various knocks he’s taken, so it’ll be interesting to see if Haniger goes through the same process. The M’s are going to need someone other than Guillermo Heredia to step up, though again, as long as the M’s rotation stays hot, they don’t need MUCH more than Guillermo and even modest contributions from Haniger and Healy.
The A’s start sinker/slider guy Josh Lucas, who came up in the Cardinals system and was traded to the A’s just after opening day this year. Lucas throws a sinker at 92 from a lowish arm slot that’s pushed out towards 3B, and which features a ton of armside run. In his first game for Oakland, though, his primary pitch was actually his slider, which he’s thrown 55% of the time. The pitch moves mostly horizontally vis a vis the sinker, and both induce plenty of ground balls. With his approach and 91-92 MPH velocity, I suppose it’s not a shock that he was seen as a potential ROOGY/bullpen arm, but he misses a few bats, and he’s shown just enough deception to be decent against lefties. It’s that deception that may allow him to start longer term, and it’s a good example of the A’s picking up on a player who may have been unfairly pigeonholed as a non-elite reliever.
Pitches like sinkers and sliders really DO have platoon split issues, and a guy with a low arm slot, in general, should have more platoon issues than an over-the-top hurler. But the A’s have been stockpiling these guys – think Andrew Triggs, Sean Manaea, etc. – and seeing if they work in the rotation. The success that guys like Chris Sale have had certainly helps embolden a team to try this, even if Triggs/Manaea/Lucas have a fraction of Sale’s stuff/velo. But I think the success of some bullpen arms has opened the door a bit, too: Darren O’Day wouldn’t seem like someone who’d be really tough on opposite-handed batters, but he is. There are ways to overcome the inherent weaknesses of certain pitch types and angles. So, like, maybe focus on those things rather than targeting pitchers who are more traditional/”projectable” and throw from a high 3/4 slot and have a really good 4 pitch mix.
It’s a different strategy than the Rays’ starting Sergio Romo/Andrew Kittredge, with very different impacts on player compensation. I’d say it’s “better” but we all know if Lucas (or whoever) works out, they’ll actually get a decent paycheck from whoever the A’s trade them to, not from the A’s organization itself.
1: Segura, SS
2: Heredia, CF
3: Haniger, RF
4: Cruz, DH
5: Seager, 3B
6: Vogelbach, 1B
7: Gamel, LF
8: Romine, 2B
9: Freitas, C
SP: FELIX
Anthony Misiewicz and Arkansas take on A’s affiliate Midland tonight, with A’s prospect Logan Shore starting for the Rockhounds. Red hot Ljay Newsome leads Modesto against San Jose, and Raymond Kerr starts for Clinton as they play host to the Burlington Bees.
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Felix struggles in the first inning again and Servais not pinch running for a hobbled Cruz contribute to the M’s not sweeping the A’s at the Mausoleum.
It’s pretty incredible to sit at a 29-20 record without zero consistency out of the starting pitching and barrage of injuries to the lineup.
Diaz looks so much more *comfortable* on that mound than he did a year ago.