Weak offense can’t make up for Manaea’s early struggles
SEATTLE — For Sean Manaea, it was 2017 all over again. He found himself in a predicament that he hadn’t experienced this season.
Down 4-0 in the third inning was reminiscent of rougher times, back when the thought of such a thing would lead to Manaea’s demise and exit in short order.
But Thursday night at Safeco Field, the left-hander didn’t crumble. He rebounded, retired nine straight batters and completed six innings, though the A’s did little offensively and fell 4-1 to drop the series to the Mariners two games to one.
“I didn’t have the best stuff today,” Manaea said. “For the most part, I wasn’t able to throw my changeup for strikes.”
Manaea was named the American League pitcher of the month for his fantastic April, which featured the seventh no-hitter in Oakland history. May didn’t start so well, however. The four earned runs he surrendered matched his total for all of April.
Then again, this was the second time the Mariners have faced him. April 15 in Seattle, Manaea lasted seven innings and won 2-1, but this time Dee Gordon’s speed, Robinson Cano’s bat and Nelson Cruz’s pop were too overwhelming.
Gordon, the former infielder who has thrived as Seattle’s center fielder and leadoff hitter, legged out an infield hit in the first inning and scored on Cano’s single. In his next atbat, Gordon hit a bloop double and scored on another Cano single.
Manaea then misplaced a changeup to Cruz, who hit his seventh homer, a two-run shot that put the A’s in a 4-0 hole.
“Couple weak hits and then the mistake to Cruz is what did it,” Manaea said. “These are things that you learn from. Can’t dwell on these things. Just learn from it and move on.”
After winning three straight series, the A’s have lost two in a row. It didn’t help that Gordon got three hits Thursday and went 10-for-14 in the series. In Manaea’s previous start against Seattle, Gordon didn’t reach base.
“Whenever he gets on base, he causes havoc,” Manaea said. “The more we can get him off the base, the better. It’s always in the back of your head when he’s on base. He’s super fast. I tried everything I could today, but nothing you can do about that.”
Manaea threw just 84 pitches Thursday, his fewest of the season, and said afterward he felt fine through his six innings. Manager Bob Melvin cited Manaea’s heavy workload through April and went with relievers Lou Trivino and Santiago Casilla for the final two innings.
Before Thursday, Manaea had given up as many as two runs in a game just once this season. His pitching line wasn’t too good Thursday, but to his credit he responded nicely to the early trauma.
“That’s the biggest difference between the last couple of years and this year is not just breaking down and cashing it in,” Manaea said. “I tried to put the team in a good spot, and unfortunately we just couldn’t do it today.”
Stephen Piscotti hit his second homer for the A’s in the fifth, but that was the extent of the offense, which accounted for just seven runs in the series and 11 in the past five games.
“You go back and forth over the course of the season,” Melvin said of the offense, noting it performed well against tough Boston and Houston pitchers before leveling off, Wednesday’s comeback 3-2 win notwithstanding.
Piscotty’s right hand was wrapped in ice afterward. He said it was normal maintenance.