Defense improving, but bats and pitching aren’t
The A’s did many things well Tuesday, but unfortunately for them, the thing at which they truly excelled was striking out.
The first eight outs Texas starter Cole Hamels recorded were Ks, and the A’s were not able to mount enough offense to match some of the best defensive work they’ve turned in during the first week of the season, falling 4-1 at the Coliseum. Oakland has dropped four of its first six games.
Hamels’ 11 strikeouts in five innings were the most in Texas/Washington franchise history for a pitcher with five innings or less.
“His changeup was working really well, and he was throwing all four of his pitches,” A’s utilityman Chad Pinder said. “He did a good job of mixing it up . ... He minimized damage tonight. He did his job. That’s the mark of a great pitcher. He
kept us quiet for the most part.”
A’s starter Kendall Graveman did not turn in his best work again Tuesday, working five innings and giving up four runs. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy helped limit the damage, too — with two runs already scored in the second inning, Lucroy threw out Rougned Odor at second. Then with two men on, Lucroy threw out Ryan Rua at third base to end the inning.
“The second inning got a little away from me there,” Graveman said. “Eleven groundball outs, that’s more what I’m trying to accomplish. ... If I go out and locate early in that second inning, I think it’s a different ballgame.
“I saw some signs of some good things. I feel like I’m really close to putting it all together.”
Lucroy was part of another big moment for Oakland’s defense in the sixth, when Nomar Mazara tried to score from first on Robinson Chirinos’ double to left. Pinder fielded the drive, zipped the ball to third baseman Matt Chapman and Chapman winged it home, where Lucroy put a big, sweeping tag on Mazara. Lucroy added another caught-stealing in the ninth, nabbing Odor again to tie his career high.
The only run off Hamels was Pinder’s homer in the third, Pinder’s first of the season — and his third off Hamels in six career at-bats.
Graveman has allowed nine runs in his first 10 innings this season, and he has given up four homers, including a solo shot by Joey Gallo in the third Tuesday. Graveman gave up just 12 in 1051⁄3 innings last year.
For the second night in a row, the A’s bullpen turned in four scoreless innings.
Pleasanton’s Stephen Piscotty continued a tough first week with his new team. The former St. Louis outfielder, dealt to Oakland in December, misplayed two balls and had miscommunication on another.
“I’m getting a little bit used to the dimensions, but that’s not an excuse because we play in away parks all the time. Dimensions are different everywhere,” Piscotty said before Tuesday’s game. “It’s been a bit of an adjustment, one I’m very capable of making.”
Manager Bob Melvin said that along with learning a new ballpark and new teammates, Piscotty also is becoming familiar with American League hitters.
“In the National League, you have a pretty good idea what the ball’s going to do and certainly in your own ballpark,” Melvin said. “There’s a period of acclimating.”
On Monday, Bartolo Colon struck out Piscotty twice on three pitches, then his third time up, Colon got him to ground into a double play.
Game 2 against Texas did not help. Piscotty struck out two more times and hit into another double play.
“He’s had a little bit of a tough time right now,” Melvin said. “But as a whole, we’re not swinging the bats very well. We have not had a good game offensively yet and put the pressure on the pitching. We have the ability to score a bunch of runs; we just haven’t gotten there yet. It’s everybody, not just one guy.”
Tuesday’s crowd was bigger than Monday’s tiny gathering of 7,416, but 9,157 still was smaller than any the A’s drew in the previous seven seasons.