Bridwell glad A’s offense is on his side now
MESA, Ariz. — Take one element away from Parker Bridwell’s statistics in his big-league career, and things change dramatically.
That item: his numbers against the A’s. He has allowed 67 earned runs since coming up in 2016, and the A’s account for 22 of them. His career ERA against Oakland: 20.48. Against everyone else: 3.34. Seven of the 26 career homers Bridwell has allowed have been hit by the A’s.
So as Bridwell told Oakland manager Bob Melvin the first day of camp, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
“It’s one of those things as a pitcher you always say, ‘Have a short memory. Don’t worry about the things you can’t control,’ but I don’t think it’s possible to forget everything and I obviously had some bad outings against Oakland,” Bridwell said. “The majority of my bad outings, really. But I’m not the only one who’s struggled against them, and that says a lot about their lineup.
“They get on base. They do the little things. They’re trying to see lots of pitches for the next guy behind them, and I found myself deep in the count every time against them, it felt like. I couldn’t put together a good start against them.
As much as you want to be mentally tough, it’s always in the back of your head if you struggle with one lineup. Every time it seemed like before four innings, I’d given up five runs on the scoreboard. I’m glad I’m in this clubhouse now.”
Two seasons ago was a good example. Bridwell went 10-3 with a 3.63 ERA overall, and the Angels went 17-3 in the rookie’s starts despite the fact he allowed 13 earned runs over six innings in two outings against the A’s.
“It was one of those things. I didn’t have anything to lose after getting designated” for assignment by Baltimore, Bridwell said of his 2017 season. “Once I got to Anaheim, I was going to let it fly, pound the zone and let the defense play behind me.”
“Parker was great for us,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. “He was so coachable, so open to new ideas, such a competitor. Just the way he handled adversity and pressure — I had veteran guys come up to me and tell me, ‘You don’t have to worry about that guy. He’s fine. He knows what he’s doing. He’s going to be a good one.’ ”
Eppler said that Bridwell might carry himself differently than other young players because he was a star high school quarterback growing up in Hereford, Texas, about 50 miles southwest of Amarillo. Bridwell took Hereford High School three rounds deep into the playoffs his sophomore and senior seasons and he committed to Texas Tech to play both football and baseball before choosing to sign with the Orioles out of high school.
“I started football earlier than baseball and I got to learn from really good quarterbacks,” among them former Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges, Bridwell said. “You have to learn to throw a spiral in the Panhandle or it’s not going to go anywhere because of the wind.
“It was awesome, just like ‘Friday Night Lights.’ They shut the town down and everybody is at the game. Until I got to the big leagues, I hadn’t felt adrenaline like there is with Friday night football. Playing football taught me a lot about how to handle myself on the mound. You learn to slow things down.”
Last year was a tough one for Bridwell: He needed surgery to remove a bone spur from his elbow, costing him four months, and he pitched in just five big-league games and six minor-league games.
“I’m good now, I’m healthy and I’m just coming in every day and taking care of my business,” Bridwell said. “If at the end of spring training they’d like to take me as one of the starters, I’d be honored.”
The A’s snatched up Bridwell, 27, on waivers Jan. 22. They believe the 6-foot-4 right-hander can get back to his 2017 self now that he’s healthy — and with them.
“He’s a tall guy, he’s got some downward plane. He’s talented,” Melvin said. “Sometimes that can get in your head, ‘There’s a team I just can’t get out.’ To have that team be us that he’s playing for now I’m sure doesn’t hurt his demeanor at all.”