MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Byrnes

The I-80 Exchange started off well, with the Athletics shelling future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on the way to an 11-2 drubbing of the visiting Giants.

Warm and fuzzy was the order of the day as BoMel and Matt Chapman returned to play in front of the A’s faithful.

Bob Melvin managed the last Athletics playoff runs before seeing the direction ownership was going and asked if he could seek a better fit.

Owner John Fisher started dismantling the playoff roster soon after, by sending many All-Stars to other teams for chump change.

So clueless about how baseball works, Fisher and the A’s sought no return from the San Diego Padres, when he signed a contract with them.

Chappy got applause this series as his Platinum glove dazzled Athletics faithful for years.

He returned from a month on IL.

The A’s banged out a whopping 16 extra-base hits (xbh) in the series, but nine were in game one and together with poor starting pitching lost the final two games 7-2 and 6-2.

Athletics Batting:
Considering the A’s have dropped out of the Top 5 as a team in most offensive categories, the bats looked better this series.
Every regular starter, excluding Zack Gelof who is recently off IL, had xbh’s in the series.

Center fielder Denzel Clarke had a solid series after going hitless in the series versus the Rays.

Clarke hit .400 with a double, triple, and home run while adding a pair of runs and RBI’s.

First baseman Nick Kurtz continues to hit the ball hard and seems to have made adjustments to his approach on inside breaking balls. After eight strikeouts in 10 hitless at-bats against the Rays, Kurtz dropped his swing and misses and hit two doubles and his 13th home run.

One has to wonder if he were an Opening Day starter, would we have had the Athletics 3rd player in the All-Star Game.

Speaking of our Athletics All-Stars, SS Jacob Wilson seems to be seeing the ball better and has pulled out of a mini-slump that saw his batting average fall about 30 points in two weeks.

Wilson is still 2nd in MLB in batting average at .335.

Designated hitter Brent Rooker was added to the ASG and celebrated by batting .300 in the series.

Rooker also made adjustments with his approach at the plate. He had seven strikeouts in the last series but had none against the Giants while adding two walks.

This writer predicted 40 home runs and 110 rbi’s out of Rooker this year and while a bit behind, the All-Star nod says it all.

Athletics Pitching:
In the opener, JP Sears (7-7) outpitched Verlander with a fine 6.0 innings of three hit shutout baseball to post one of his best outings of the year.

Perrenial whiner Luis Severino (2-10) continues his home winless streak by giving up five earned runs in just 4.1 innings.

He cannot blame Sutter Health Park or its mound anymore.
Playing in a minor league park isn’t his issue.

He gave up 14 runs in two losses on the recent road trip and has lost his last four starts.

Whispers of unloading him before the July 31st trade deadline are getting louder as he is complaining to anyone willing to listen that he hates playing in West Sacramento.

The Athletics need to move on from him as your #1 starter can’t be 0-8, 7.04 at home.

Starter Jacob Lopez had an off day and allowed four runs in 4.1 to take the loss in the finale.

The A’s had won the last five games he had started and many consider him one of the more consistent starters in the rotation.
In relief, newcomer Jack Perkins has been an innings eater and while he gave up a couple of runs, having him and JT Ginn available to work three innings an outing has been a commodity. Those two have been reminiscent of late 80’s Athletics pitching where middle relief wasn’t just one inning.

Closer Mason Miller is back to All-Star caliber dominance.
In his last eight appearances he has given up just three hits and is hitting 103 on radar regularly.

Upcoming Series:
The homestand continues as the Atlanta Braves (39-50) come to West Sacramento to face the Athletics (37-55).

Fans get to see the other Matt, as Matt Olson will try to add to his 17 home runs.

Atlanta recently called up RHP Didier Fuentes and he is (0-2, 9.00) in three appearances.