A’s: Triggs’ strong start helps extend win streak to4

ARLINGTON, Texas — Coming into the season, the one big question about the A’s was their rotation.

Recently, the starters have responded firmly that they should not be overlooked. Sean Manaea got the big headlines with his no-hitter Saturday, but most of the rest of the starters have been nails, too. On Tuesday at Texas, it was Andrew Triggs, who worked six strong innings in Oakland’s 3-2 victory, the A’s fourth win in a row and eighth in their past nine games.

“It’s just a really fun time right now,” Triggs said.

The difference for the A’s: Their starters have allowed no more than one run in six of those nine games. “There’s no coincidence we’ve been winning games when we’ve been getting (good) starting pitching for six innings or more,” manager Bob Melvin said.

As well as Oakland is rolling, there was one alarming moment. Closer Blake Treinen was struck by a line drive by ShinSoo Choo in the eighth inning and exited with what Melvin said was a bruised right shin. Melvin believes Treinen will be good to go Friday. “That was a pretty good shot,” he said.

After Treinen exited, Lou Trivino, who’d thrown 32 pitches in a minor-league game Monday, gave up a drive to rightcenter by Adrian Beltre that scored Choo. Beltre pulled up at first, however, with a hamstring strain.

Santiago Casilla, who’d appeared in only five games and who had a 9.53 ERA against Texas in 27 career games, pitched the ninth and earned his first save. “That was terrific,” Melvin said. “You’ve got to turn to some experience at that point, and he did a nice job, 1-2-3.”

Triggs didn’t make it out of the second in his previous outing, but on Tuesday, he went more than five innings for the first time this season. He sailed through the first five, in fact, notever allowing more than one runner in an inning.

The A’s took the lead in the sixth when Mark Canha lifted a drive to right that Nomar Mazara briefly had in his glove after a leap at the wall. The ball ticked off Mazara’s glove and fell over the fence for Canha’s third homer and his 11th hit in his past 28 at-bats.

In the bottom of the inning, the Rangers loaded the bases with one out on a single, a hit batter and a walk. Beltre’s sacrifice fly tied the game 1-1, but Triggs got out of it when Joey Gallo grounded out. “He found a way to manage that inning. That was the key,” Melvin said.

Triggs said he shook off

catcher Jonathan Lucroy only once. “My stuff was better. I felt like I was moving the ball around better, and Lucroy put the signs down,” Triggs said. “I sort of let him drive, and I was in the passenger seat.”

The A’s went right back up the following inning, despite Lucroy getting thrown out at third trying to stretch a double to right into a triple. Marcus Semien followed with a double. With Chad Pinder due up and 7-for-8 lifetime with three homers against Cole Hamels, Matt Bush replaced Hamels and walked pinch-hitter Matt Joyce. Jed Lowrie drilled a double to send in Semien, but the A’s rally sputtered when Joyce was picked off third by catcher Robinson Chirinos for the second out and the second of the inning at third base.

Oakland added another in the eighth when Matt Chapman walked and Matt Olson followed with a double.