Cotton a snug fit for rotation
OAKLAND — In the almost eight weeks since Sonny Gray last pitched, there has been a revolution in the Oakland starting rotation.
The revolution has a name: Jharel Cotton. The Virgin Islands native has made four starts this month, including Sunday’s 7-1 win over Texas, and is 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA.
He’s allowed exactly one earned run in each of his four starts, something no other A’s pitcher has done dating back to 1913. That’s notable because 1913 is the year earned runs became an official statistic in the American League.
Cotton suggested there was room for improvement, saying “I wish I could give up no runs.”
On the day the A’s announced Gray would start Wednesday’s series finale in Anaheim against the Angels, Cotton announced he’s more than ever a serious candidate for the 2017 A’s starting rotation. He didn’t verbalize that, but his pitches did.
He was supposed to throw just six innings, but he was so economical with his pitches, needing just 58 to make it through six, that he got a seventh inning. That’s when the Rangers got their run on a two-out Adrian Beltre solo homer. No matter. The A’s had scored seven times in the second inning to break out of their doldrums, and the game was in the bag.
Melvin, asked if Cotton was in the 2017 rotation, laughed at the question the club hasn’t yet addressed, but added “at this point I don’t know. He’s certainly pitching his way into next year’s rotation. But we’ll take a look and see at the end of the season.”
That’s just a week away, and Wednesday’s start for Gray is a strong indicator the A’s feel he’ll be good to go come 2017.
To this point Gray has been the poster child for a troubled rotation that has seen 14 different pitchers make four or more starts, just the fifth time since 1900 that’s happened. Gray missed his opening day assignment because of food poisoning, and things never got much better. Date Sunday Sept. 19 Sept. 13 Sept. 7 Opponent Texas Houston at Kansas City L.A. Angels
A’S AT L.A. ANGELS
IP 7.0 6.0 5.2 6.1 Monday: LHP Sean Manaea (6-9, 4.03) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (12-12, 5.20) CSNCA 7:05 p.m. Wednesday: He’d never spent one day of his first three seasons with an ERA over 3.28, but since May 9 it hasn’t been under 5.03.
A right trapezoid muscle injury cost him two week on the DL in May/June.
He fought through some discomfort in July, and his ERA was at 5.74 after an Aug. 6 start. The A’s hoped it would only cost Gray two starts, but he’ll have missed almost two months.
“It’s good news,” Gray said. “I came in today feeling great after throwing yesterday. “It’ll be a small session, but it’s going to be good.”
Melvin and pitching coach Curt Young want to keep Gray’s pitch count 3 2 7 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 5 6 2 3 low, so he could be limited to just an inning or two unless he pitches like Cotton did Sunday. But Oakland isn’t going to take any chances with its ace.
Some scouts say Cotton, with his 94 mph fastball and 79 mph changeup, is best suited for relief, but everything he’s done since the A’s traded Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to get him and two others screams “starter.”
As for 2017, Cotton said “I am not thinking right now about next year.” He’s in the minority.
The A’s, who finish the n season with three games in Anaheim and four in Seattle, drew 17,048 Sunday as Oakland finished its home schedule with a 34-47 Coliseum record. That’s the same as in 2015, tied for the second-worst behind 1979’s 31-50 in Oakland history.
The A’s avoided their n first winless homestand of three or more games in Oakland history. “It was important to win this one for the fans and for us,” catcher Stephen Vogt said. “This game showed what our youth can do.”