Papa on Davis — ‘We never were able to mend fences’
Lucroy enjoys blast from past with grand slam; Chapman, Piscotty, Davis also go deep in romp
ARLINGTON, TEXAS >> As hot as the weather was at Globe Life Park, the A’s bats were even hotter.
On a day in which the temperature at first pitch was 99 degrees, the A’s offense exploded in Monday’s 15-3 blowout win over the Rangers.
With the Rangers sitting last
in the American League West, Cole Hamels has been the subject of many trade rumors with the July 31 deadline approaching. The A’s may have decreased his trade value.
The A’s (58-43) batted around in the second inning for five runs, and the big blow came from an unlikely source. Jonathan Lucroy, who entered the night with one home run this season, blasted a 2-1 cutter from Hamels into center field for a grand slam.
“To get four runs in the second (on the slam) was certainly a boost for us,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “He could use it, too. (Lucroy) has hit a lot of balls deep into the outfield that end up caught at the track. Not only was it big for us, but it was big for him.”
Lucroy’s home run was part of a 2 for 5 day, in which he doubled in the seventh. His numbers have taken quite a dip over the past couple of seasons. Once viewed as one of the game’s top offensive
catchers, Lucroy finds himself at the bottom of the order.
The A’s don’t necessarily need him to transform into his 2014 self, when he smacked a league-leading 53 doubles and finished fourth in MVP voting with the Brewers. Lucroy himself knows the A’s offense is powerful enough, and is more focused on handling the young pitching staff. But improving upon his .242 average is some- thing he would like to do.
“Past two years I’ve been terrible offensively,” Lucroy said. “You look at my career numbers and see that. I really want to get it going offensively. It really would help out this team if I can get it going like I have in the past.”
Stephen Piscotty, the A’s hottest hitter over the past two weeks, later tagged Hamels for a two- run home run into the left field bleachers in the fifth, giving the A’s a 7-2 lead. Piscotty finished the day 2 for 4 with walk and three RBIs, also doubling in a run in the seventh. He is now batting .304 over his last 15 games with six home runs, eight doubles, and 16 RBIs.
Hamels tied a seasonhigh in allowing seven runs over five innings, but the A’s didn’t stop there.
Matt Chapman ended his power drought in the seventh by crushing a 2-2 changeup from Matt Moore into the leftfield seats for a three-run homer. It was Chapman’s 11th home run of the year and his first since June 10.
“That was a bullet,” Melvin said. “I don’t know what the exit velocity was, but I’m sure it was pretty significant.”
It was a laser shot, with an exit velocity clocked at 115.2 mph.
Khris Davis added a solo shot in the eighth, his 24th of the season and third in the past two games, as the A’s continue to be the most powerful offensive team on the road. Their 89 home runs away from Oakland are by far the most in the majors, as are their 296 runs scored.
Things got so bad, the Rangers (42-59) even used position players Carlos Tocci and Ryan Rua to pitch the final two innings of the game.
It was plenty of support for Brett Anderson, the left-hander who might be on the bubble with his roster spot. Anderson has struggled lately, with Daniel Mengden lurking in the minors and ready to return to the rotation from a foot injury. Monday’s start may have helped his cause.
Anderson pitched around traffic a few innings to finish with a quality start. His only blemish was a two-run home run by Elvis Andrus in the third. He allowed just two runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts over six innings. He improved to 2-2, lowering his ERA to 5.46 in seven starts.
“Took a little while to get into rhythm, but I felt like the fifth and sixth innings were my most comfortable,” Anderson said. “This offense is fun to watch and a juggernaut when it gets going like that. Starters haven’t been asked to do a whole lot here lately, just give us a chance to win.”