STELLAR START
Barreto’s three-run blast caps seven-run first, which ignites A’s rout
OAKLAND >> The A’s pieced together a seven-run first inning Saturday, their second seven-run inning in the past five years, and went on to rout the Chicago White Sox 13-2.
Matt Chapman’s RBI double, a couple of RBI singles from Robbie Grossman and Chris Herrmann capped off with Franklin Barreto’s three-run home run made up the A’s (52-41) latest seven-spot on Saturday.
The 2014 version featured home runs from Josh Reddick and Alberto Callaspo paired with Yoenis Cespedes’s
two-run single.
Here are three takeaways from the A’s win over the Chicago White Sox. BARRETO PEEKING OVER THE SLUMP >> It’s not unusual for call-ups to start pressing. Barreto, like any other prospect, sensed the urgency within himself to prove his effectiveness at the big league level.
“When you’re a younger player and you get an opportunity in the big leagues sometimes you can get too aggressive,” manager Bob Melvin said before the game.
Barreto’s over-aggression yielded 10 strikeouts and a .087 batting average heading into Saturday’s game. But glimmers sparkled through the dust. Barreto was identifying his pitches; one for a double and another for a home run over his seven games with the A’s this year.
“He’s identified some good balls to hit,” Melvin said. “Once he does that he’ll be off to the races.”
A Ross Detwiler curveball punctured Barreto’s sweet spot, good enough to launch for a three-run home run.
“You get a hit in that first at bat and
you can relax a little bit,” Melvin said.
Barreto looked a bit more at ease following his big swing; unlike in previous games, he wasn’t trying too hard to produce at the plate. A sevenpitch walk later on perhaps more indicative of his growing confidence and patience.
The A’s are hopeful that the same Barreto who slugged a .927 OPS with 12 home runs and 48 RBIS with Triple-a Las Vegas this year will catch up in Oakland. He’ll get the lion’s share of starts at second base in place of Jurickson Profar as a space to find his confidence again. His production Saturday -- with one loud blast and quiet base on balls -might’ve been a peek at a more relaxed Barreto.
CHRIS BASSITT MIXES IN A CHANGEUP >> The last-place Seattle Mariners ran Bassitt (6-4) through the ringer at the first half’s close. He’d tumbled through a 41/3-inning clunker riding solely on his cutter and fastball, his curveball unable to land for strikes.
Mike Fiers and Brett Anderson pulled Bassitt aside for a chat. It was time, they said, to whip out the changeup.
“(The Mariners) exposed me a little bit, which you can be mad about it or make an adjustment,” Bassitt said. “They said, listen you’re really good, but you can take it to another level by having that pitch.”
Bassitt had thrown it a couple times, but a handful of changeups per game does not “a pitch” make, he said. A new pitch would give familiar opposing hitters another pitch to ponder; it was an adjustment 30-year-old Bassitt had never had to make.
“I haven’t done that, truly, my entire career, just haven’t done it,” he said. “And to be honest with you it’s because I haven’t had to. Got to the point of the year where every team has seen me enough times where they have a game plan for me.”
Bassitt threw 13 changeups against the White Sox, the majority for strikes, and with it saw a turnaround game. He tossed six shutout innings with six strikeouts for his sixth win.
MATT CHAPMAN AND THE TOP-OF-THELINEUP POTENCY >> Chapman is quietly putting together an Mvp-caliber season, but this point shouldn’t be belaboured. A .274 batting average is weighing down a technically potent season at the plate, and he’s only improved as the year progressed.
Chapman went 3 for 4 with two doubles on Saturday. Over his last 17 games, he’s hitting .333 with a 1.060 OPS and using the whole field to do it.
Marcus Semien, who is also one of the most consistent hitters in the American League, went 2 for 5 with a double on Saturday and Matt Olson, 2 for 4 with a walk and a double. Khris Davis scored two runs and collected an RBI single.
“You look at those first four guys and that’s the strength of our team,” Melvin said. “Yes, we have the ability and production toward the middle and bottom, but those are the guys we rely on to do the brunt of the work and hit good pitching. Guys you count on in big situations.”
The Nos. 1-4 hitters collected eight runs and three RBIS. And, yes, the bottom of the order was powerful. Ramon Laureano collected two RBIS despite not getting a hit, and Barreto and Robbie Grossman combined for six of the A’s 13 runs.