Bats revived in Jackson’s milestone win
OAKLAND >> After an anemic weekend in Denver, the A’s bats picked up where they left off in Texas last week, cooking up more than enough offense to help pitcher Edwin Jackson earn his 100th career win.
The A’s did their best to prove that their sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies was nothing more than a hiccup, more than doubling last weekend’s offensive output in a 10-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Oakland Monday.
“We talked about it before the game — getting back after it again,” catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. “Guys did a really great job.”
With the win, the A’s moved
to within five games of the firstplace Houston Astros in the American League West standings. They continue to trail the Seattle Mariners by two games for the second wild-card spot.
The win ensured that the A’s goal of bringing their stellar road play home to the Coliseum got off on the right foot. While they’re 35-24 on the road,
the A’s are just 27-22 at home, where they’ll play 26 of their next 36 games. Unfortunately, only 11,149 paid fans showed up to watch Monday’s blowout win.
It only took four innings for the A’s to match the four runs they produced in three games against the Rockies last weekend. Mark Canha grilled up the first ribeye by smacking his 14th home run of the season to left in the second.
Then, the A’s did what they so often failed to do in Denver: bring runners across the plate.
After stranding 29 runners in three games last weekend, the A’s made it 3-0 off sacrifice flies from Khris Davis and Lucroy in the third and fourth. Then, Nick Martini continued his campaign to stay in the leadoff spot, scoring Marcus Semien off a double to right in the fourth.
Martini went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, improving his batting average to .435 (10 for 23) out of the leadoff position. Matt Joyce, who often bats at the top of the order, suffered a setback in his recovery from a back strain last weekend, delaying his return to the lineup.
“Talk about the right guy at the right time,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said, referring to Martini. “He’s putting together tough at bats and moved himself all the way up to the leadoff spot where he’s doing a good job.
“His timing with Joycie down has been very good.”
The A’s completed their offensive resurrection by adding six more runs in the frame now being referred to in the East Bay as the “Ath inning.” With a home run from Stephen Piscotty, a two-run double from Lucroy, a two-run double from Jed Lowrie and an RBI single from Davis, the A’s have now scored a Major Leaguebest 83 runs in the eighth inning this season.
As the A’s bats returned to the form that produced 41 runs in four games against the Texas Rangers last week, the pitching staff put together an equallydominant performance on the hill.
In his 16th season, with his 13th Major League club, Jackson finally earned his 100th career win, tossing
52/3 innings of shutout baseball while surrendering three hits and walking three batters. Jackson, who’d been stuck on win No. 99 for exactly one calendar month, didn’t allow a Blue Jays runner to advance past second base even though he walked the first two hitters he faced.
“Pitchers just aren’t going to have their best stuff every day, that’s just the way it is,” Lucroy said. “The trick is trying to get him through it without his best stuff. “He was able to do that.” The A’s celebrated after the game, popping a six-liter bottle of champagne in the clubhouse that Jackson’s wife, Erika, had been lugging around the country in anticipation of the milestone win.
“There’s a pretty expensive bottle of champagne in there,” Melvin said. “One that I did not open, for sure.”
Melvin said the club was thrilled for Jackson, who signed a minor league contract with the organization less than eight weeks ago, an indication of the type of teammate the 34-year old journeyman is.
“Comes in and day one fits in like he’s been here for a few years,” Melvin said. “Guys are celebrating for him in there right now.”
Jackson gave the game ball, which was tagged with the number “100” in a black sharpie, to his six-year old son Exavier.
“It’s special,” Jackson said. “To look back where I’ve come from, to imagine having 100 Major League wins, it’s definitely something that I never envisioned.
“I’ve been blessed with a crazy but successful career.”
The bullpen made sure that Jackson (2-2) left the Coliseum as a 100-game winner, giving up just one run over the final 31/3 innings.
“• It’s a small step, but it means the world for Jharel Cotton.
The right-hander was in the A’s clubhouse Monday with a big smile on his face after completing a session of sock throws. It was the first real throwing action Cotton’s right arm has seen since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March.
“I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, so I’m feeling good,” Cotton said. “My arm feels good, body feels great, and I’m progressing well.”
Cotton, 26, hasn’t been able to be around his teammates as much as he’d like with rehab mostly in Arizona, he’s been watching every game and said he always feels like he’s in the dugout in spirit. Cotton has very much enjoyed the A’s surprising run at a playoff spot this year. He said he went crazy on his couch watching the A’s complete their wacky comeback in last week’s four-game sweep of the Texas Rangers.
“I was jumping up and down the apartment,” Cotton said. “I think the neighbor called security on me.”
• The A’s will discontinue traditional season tickets in 2019 in favor of a new membership program called A’s Access, the team announced.
A’s Access, according to the release, will provide all members general admission access to every home game during the 2019 season. Also included will be “significant benefits that are exclusive to members.”
Access membership plans, beginning at $240, will go on sale Aug. 3. Member benefits include 50 percent off concessions, 25 percent off merchandise, parking benefits and upgrade credits Fans purchasing a 2019 Access membership will have the first opportunity to purchase 2018 postseason tickets.