MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The Athletics beat up the struggling White Sox in nearly every way possible and swept Chicago in their own city. They sandwiched a close 3-1 win between two blowouts, 12-3 and 8-0, and are only a game under .500. 

The A’s are showing a core of really exciting hitters, as the days of hitting .216 as a team appear long gone.

Athletics Batting:
The A’s bats let loose with 17 extra-base hits (seven doubles, three triples, and seven home runs) in the three-game series.

Tyler Soderstrom continued to hit the leather off the ball, with three more home runs, five runs, and seven RBIs. He was robbed on two other home runs on the trip east and is becoming a real problem for opposing pitchers.

Brent Rooker went 6/13 with a home run and five runs, and one of his deep CF moon shots was pulled back for an out.

Lawrence Butler is becoming a leadoff utility knife by doing a little of everything. He went 5/14 with a double, a home run, and two stolen bases. Batting nearly .300, he has maintained his job as the Athletics leadoff hitter, even with Jacob Wilson hitting safely in 18 of 19 games.

The Athletics bats dominated the series. If not for some good White Sox outfielders and good timing, the home run total would have reached double digits.

Athletics Pitching:
The starting pitchers have quietly put together a stellar week of work. After the Mets series, where A’s starters only allowed five earned runs, Springs(3 ERs), Bido(1 ER), and Sears(0 ER) continued the stellar output. 

The earned runs given up resulted from two home runs, and the A’s put Chicago down the rest of the series.

I want to acknowledge Osvaldo Bido and his pitching style. It scares me! A lot!

There is no light contact with this guy. Everything hit seems right on the button, and all outs seem to be 105 mph bullets off the bat. There are so many warning track-outs, but a pattern is forming.

They are outs, and they keep coming. Bido may raise my blood pressure on nearly every pitch, but results are results.

The man is 2-1, 2.61 ERA, and has gotten through the fifth inning in every start. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any start this year and is pitching solid.

The relievers weren’t challenged in any meaningful way this series, and Mason Miller grabbed his fifth save and has yet to give up a run this year.

Athletics Sidenote:
Max Muncy had another first-inning fielding error, his fourth in six games. He is visibly uncomfortable in the field right now and maybe a few days off will help reset some bad defensive habits.

Something I have never seen before in a baseball game.
Miguel Andujar is at the plate with a man on the second, and the runner goes for third. Called safe, the home plate umpire signals that Andujar was hit by the pitch and to take first.

Andujar argued he wasn’t hit and refused to take first base.(Albert Belle flashbacks) The runner on third never scored, so his decision mattered, but the Athletics went on to win the game 8-0.

Upcoming Series:
Up next is a three-game series in Milwaukeee versus the second-place (10-9) Brewers.
The Brewers have offensive numbers similar to the Athletics, with the A’s packing more punch. The Brewers turn those hits into runs better at this point in the season, but the teams are evenly matched.