Stephen Piscotty and A’s make it two straight over Giants.
A’s: Berth in postseason has become realistic goal
Oakland wrapped up a sensational first half Sunday with a 6-2 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park, putting the A’s a season-high 13 games over .500.
Over the past month, they have the majors’ best record at 21-6, and now they’re poised to be buyers at the trade deadline rather than sellers. What? Seriously: What? Entering the season, expectations were mod-
est. Breaking even seemed a good goal with a young team, especially after three consecutive last-place finishes in the AL West. Now, though, with the A’s — let’s not say overachieving — thriving, the front office is in an unusual position. For the first time in four years, Oakland has reason to add key players, rather than move popular ones.
“When you’re in it, you’ve got to do everything you can to have a shot. If we feel like we’re in it, we’d always like to add,” A’s vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane told The Chronicle in a recent interview. “Frankly, right now, we’re trending high, we have good momentum and as a front office, we feel as if we should be responsive to the way the team is playing.
“It’s not where you are as a team, it’s where you’re headed, and that’s how we’re going to prepare.”
The A’s have won 15 of their past 19 games, including taking two of three at AT&T Park, where the Giants had won or split 12 consecutive series. “It’s been a great run,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said, adding of the Giants, “This is a tough team that plays well at home. To come back and win two is pretty rewarding going into the break.”
After failing to get a hit the first three innings, the A’s got to Andrew Suarez for four runs in the fourth, getting a string of RBI singles from Stephen Piscotty, Matt Olson and Matt Chapman and then a sacrifice fly from Jonathan Lucroy.
“Guys were just first-to-third, first-to-third, and that’s a different dynamic for us,” Melvin said. “Anytime we can have an inning like that, where we’re scoring when we’re not hitting home runs, gives us confidence that even without home runs, we can string hits together.”
Piscotty added a solo homer in the sixth, his 12th of the season, and over the past 11 games, he’s batting .348 with five homers and 13 RBIs. “I’m really happy to be playing my game again,” Piscotty said. “I’m ready for this break, but I also want to keep it rolling.”
“You understand what he was going through for a long period of time,” Melvin said of Piscotty, who lost his mother, Gretchen, to ALS on May 6. “Now he’s just playing baseball, and he has a nice little angel sitting there with him, too . ... He’s playing as well as anyone on the team at this point.”
Oakland’s most obvious need, after injuries thinned the rotation even before the season began, is starting pitching. Sean Manaea, who worked six innings Sunday and allowed five hits, a walk and two runs, is the only A’s starter to make every scheduled outing this season — and he’s the only member of the projected Opening Day rotation remaining on the 25-man roster.
There could be a few options that pique the team’s interest, Minnesota’s Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn, perhaps. The A’s aren’t going to be looking for top-line, Jacob de Grom-type starters; they’ve carefully assembled a strong minor-league system with all their midseason deals the previous three years. So taking on some contract from a team out of the running might be their best shot.
It remains to be seen, however, if ownership is willing to take on extra payroll. The team’s $66 million payroll is at the bottom of the league — so theoretically, with the A’s doing all they can to contend on a shoestring budget, you’d imagine that John Fisher and Co. would loosen the strings a bit.
If not, look for Beane, general manager David Forst and the rest of the A’s brain trust to get creative, perhaps adding some solid relievers, instead. After all, one of Oakland’s go-to moves this year is threeor four-plus innings from the starter, followed by the A’s bullpen. Minor-league relievers are among the organization’s strengths, so the team could continue to mix and match with their own pitchers; J.B. Wendleken and Jeremy Bleich came up during the past weekend and next could be Bobby Wahl, who is tearing up the Pacific Coast League.
The A’s relief corps continued to impress Sunday; lefthander Ryan Buchter struck out the side in the seventh, Lou Trivino worked a scoreless eighth and All-Star closer Blake Treinen struck out three in the ninth.
“We’re playing really confident baseball and making a charge here,” Piscotty said. “We’re really happy with how we finished. We’re right there, so we’re excited to keep going.”