Mengden’s second start of camp a confidence booster

Competition over third rotation spot will soon heat up

MESA, ARIZ. >> Four days. That’s how long Daniel Mengden had to sit around, frustrated after getting shelled in the Cactus League opener for his first impression as he battles for a spot in the starting rotation.

Mengden got his chance to get back on the mound Wednesday, and he turned that frustration into success, allowing just a hit and a walk over three innings in a 7-5 loss to the Cubs.

“I was pretty aggravated about that,” Mengden said of his first start last Sunday, which saw him fail to get out of the first inning after allowing two runs on five hits and a walk. “I just went in the bullpen and tried to work on my craft and get my fastball better. Today it was a lot better. I was getting ahead and staying with the fastball in 1-1 counts so I think it just pulls together when you’re ahead.”

Manager Bob Melvin noticed a bit more confidence this time out from Mengden, who displayed better command with all of his pitches.

“Completely different from his last outing,” Melvin said. “Threw the ball where he wanted to. Good presence out there as well.”

Declared earlier in the spring as the front-runner for the No. 3 role by Melvin, Mengden will look to build off the scoreless three inning performance as the battle for the final three spots in the rotation begins to heat up in the coming weeks.

• Mengden’s fellow rotation competitor Paul Blackburn had an up and down outing his second time out this spring.

Starting the game for the A’s, Blackburn was roughed up a bit in the first inning as he allowed four runs on three hits while walking a couple of batters.

Originally drafted by the Cubs in 2012, Blackburn admitted to feeling a little jumpy facing the several Cubs hitters who were once his teammates in Chicago’s minor league system.

“Jumping right back into it, second game, obviously I was excited to pitch,” Blackburn said. “You start getting your insides jumping a little bit and that translates to you jumping a little bit as well. It’ll come around.”

Blackburn’s jitters seemed to subside in the second. He retired the side in order, giving himself the ability to at least leave the ballpark with a good taste in his mouth.

“You’re only as good as your last inning so I’m gonna go off that,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn has been using the spring to work on adding more movement on his changeup and curveball.

• Matt Olson homered off Justin Grimm for his second home run of the spring in the fourth. Melvin is usually no longer surprised by Olson’s power, but the fact that Olson showed enough pop to easily clear the wall in left field left him excited about possibly adding that new wrinkle to his hitting.

“He just stayed with it and hit it out to left,” Melvin said. “If he’s able to track and drive balls the other way, that’s a whole different dimension for him.”

• Sean Manaea and Daniel Gossett, two starting pitchers yet to appear in a Cactus League game, appear set to do so this week. After being scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday with back tightness, Manaea arrived to the clubhouse at Hohokam Stadium Wednesday feeling much better and even threw two innings in a simulated game at the A’s minor league complex.

Melvin also revealed that Gossett, who has been dealing with back stiffness, will pitch in Saturday’s game against the Padres.

Gossett, 25, is among several pitchers in camp battling for one of the final three spots in the starting rotation.