Losing streak reaches six with loss to Red Sox
BOSTON >> It looks as though turning the page on the A’s current slump will take more than a simple flip of the calendar.
With a loss on Wednesday, the A’s dropped their season series against Boston, 4-3, after going 3-1 in the first series versus the World Series champs. It was the first time since 2016 that the club had dropped a season set to the Red Sox.
Their second consecutive sweep was the fifth series sweep suffered by the A’s this season.
“It’s frustrating to lose one game,” said starter Mike Fiers, who suffered loss on Wednesday. “We show up here and we expect to win and when we don’t, we’re frustrated. We’ll come back the next day and give it our best effort.”
OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES CONTINUE >> In the span between scoring four runs in the second inning during Monday night’s game at Fenway Park and the ninth inning of Wednesday’s finale, when they scored two runs, the A’s offense eeked out just 11 hits over 24 innings.
In the midst of their season high six-game losing streak, the A’s have hit just .167 and over their last 14 games they have a batting average of .205.
In Wednesday’s 7-3 loss, the team had just four hits through eight innings, tacking on three more in the final inning, something manager Bob Melvin hopes they can parlay into some momentum.
“Certainly, you’d like to win today, going into an off day,” Melvin said. “Our guys came out with some energy, we scored first, couldn’t hold the lead and then got bogged down a little bit as we went along. It’s nice to take a little something from the last inning. Some guys had some good swings. So hopefully there’s some carryover there. But we’re going to have to play our way out of this. You don’t just sit around and wait for it.”
One of the most notable things missing from the offense has been the home run. The A’s hit just two on the road trip.
The A’s have just seven home runs in their last 14 games after hitting 36 in their first 19 games. Khris Davis, who leads the team with 10 homers, hasn’t gone deep in his last 15 games.
Asked if he felt like or saw players pressing a little harder because of the recent slump, Melvin replied, “I really didn’t. They were in pretty good spirits before the game. If you didn’t know any better you would have thought we’d won a few games in a row … We haven’t been unlucky really to this point, we just haven’t played well. We have to do something about it.”
“I feel like we go up to the plate every time with the same attitude to put the barrel on the ball, and we’ve done that,” catcher Josh Phegley said. “We’ve gotten unlucky in some opportunities. We’re lining out, hitting the balls hard. We just got to keep grinding. Teams run into stuff like this. It’s still early and I don’t think we’re panicking at all.”
COMING IN HOT >> Two weeks to the day from his last appearance, reliever Lou Trivino returned to game action
following an injury to his right thumb.
The right-hander entered the game in the sixth inning with a runner on first and two outs, tasked with taming the meat of Boston’s lineup.
“I told him I’d give him a nice, soft landing, so I brought him in for Betts and Martinez with some guys on base,” said Melvin. “But he’s used to that.”
Trivino proved to be fully healthy when he started unleashing 97 mph fastballs, though he would walk Betts on six pitches.
After getting Martinez to swing and miss at his first two offerings, the righthander would eventually induce a popout from the Red Sox slugger to end the inning.
“He came out horns blazing, throwing 98-99 miles per hour,” said Melvin. “I’m glad we got him some pitches in. Next time he’ll be back in the role he’s used to being in.”
In 13 innings of work this season Trivino has allowed just two earned runs, six hits and two walks.
NO FREEBIES >> The A’s did not have any base on balls on Wednesday, the first time all season that no Athletics player reached via walk.
On the season the team has drawn 111 walks through its first 33 games, an average of 3.4 per game, which is right on pace with its 2018 average.