A’s starter Gossett finds a few potholes of the Giant variety
OAKLAND >> The A’s have known for a few days now what their starting rotation is going to look like for the start of the regular season after injuries took away a couple of their options.
That might have its benefits, as it gives young A’s starters like Daniel Gossett some peace of mind this week knowing they’ll be on the big league roster for Thursday’s Opening Day. But there could be drawbacks, too.
The A’s — at least for a little while — kind of have to ride with Gossett even if he experiences some bumps in the road, like he did Sunday in the Bay Bridge Series opener against the Giants before an announced crowd of 21,229 at the Coliseum.
In his first start of the spring, Gossett, 25, allowed four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings as the A’s lost 5-1 to the Giants in their first game since returning from Arizona.
Gossett’s fastball touched 94 mph at times, as he worked two scoreless innings. He allowed three earned runs in the third, with the big blow being a two-run double from Buster Posey on a 89 mph slider that caught too much of the plate.
Gossett had trouble staying ahead of hitters and holding runners, as Gregor Blanco and Gorkys Hernandez both stole bases, with Blanco’s effort coming without a throw from catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
“I thought his stuff was good. Pretty similar to what we saw in the regular spring training,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Just didn’t throw enough strikes today. Didn’t get ahead. Then got himself in a jam in the one inning, Posey gets a big hit and they score some runs off him. So, just has to be a little more efficient with his strikes and get ahead in the count.”
Gossett has had a mostly positive spring out of the bullpen.
His first Cactus League appearance was rough, with two earned runs allowed in two-thirds of an inning on March 3 against San Diego. But he settled down to give up just four hits and one earned run in nine innings over three more appearances.
“Just consistency with my delivery,” Gossett said when asked what he’s been working on this spring. “Actually worrying about pitching and not really worrying about my mechanics. I guess that would be a mental adjustment
more than anything, to worry about getting outs and not worry about having the best delivery.
“My focus has shifted to the pitch, to getting outs, so I think that’s a positive step.”
With Jharel Cotton out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this month, and Paul Blackburn out with forearm tightness for at least the time being, the A’s rotation for now is Kendall Graveman, Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden, Andrew Triggs and Gossett.
Melvin said Sunday morning that Trevor Cahill will pitch three innings against the Giants in the finale of the Bay Bridge Series. But Cahill will need more time in the minor leagues to get ready to assume a starter’s role.
Center fielder Dustin Fowler got a feel for the outfield dimensions at the
Coliseum, as he tried to chase down the ball hit by Posey before it landed just short of the wall in rightcenter. He also ran down a sharp liner by Brandon Belt in the seventh inning.
“Today was a tricky day,” Fowler said. “The wind was swirling, the sun was right there. I got plenty of tricky plays today.”
Fowler went 2 for 3 and scored the lone A’s run, reaching home from second base on a single by Jed Lowrie.
“When he starts hitting the ball the other way, it means he’s getting on top of the baseball a little bit more and tracking it,” Melvin said. “Early in the spring, that wasn’t the case. But his at-bats are getting better and he had a couple more hits today.”
Matt Joyce fouled a ball off his knee in the bottom of the third inning. Joyce went down immediately, but remained in the game
until the top of the fifth when he was replaced by Chad Pinder. Melvin said Joyce experienced some stiffness in the knee, but believed he would be OK.
Catcher Jonathan Lucroy is now 0-for-15 at the plate with the A’s this spring.
It was a mixed bag for the A’s bullpen as the competition for spots winds down. Yusmeiro Petit, Danny Coulombe and Liam Hendriks combined to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Raul Alcantara gave up a solo home run to Pablo Sandoval in the eighth inning on a 94 mph fastball.
“He’s got to start throwing his breaking ball for a strike and having a secondary pitch,” Melvin said of Alcantara.
“That’s been the issue with him. He’s got a good fastball but at the major league level if they know it’s coming, they’ll turn it around.”