WIN OR GO HOME
Melvins give starting nod, vote of confidence to hot hand of Manaea in wild-card game
OAKLAND >> At times, Sean Manaea wasn’t sure when he’d don green and gold again, how long he’d have to wait take the mound again.
But, this month, Manaea’s gone from a tentative return to the A’s chosen starter — with the entire season and postseason on the line.
Yes, Manaea will start today’s American League wild-card game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Surgery to his throwing shoulder first derailed Manaea’s breakout 2018 season — replete with budding potential decorated by a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox and a sub-4.00 ERA — then turned the first months of 2019 into an excruciating waiting game.
Rehab days that began early July weren’t easy. But eagerness to go back to where he started faced relative glacial progress — his team whizzing, though winning, through the regular season without him.
He suffered through a setback, a side in
jury, that put off his rehab for a few days. Manaea grew a little more patient and developed some perspective through it all.
“I think those moments, looking back, are blessings,” Manaea said Tuesday. “At the time it was frustrating, but looking back I think each time I had a setback I was able to work on something, taking those opportunities to turn it into something positive instead of being super upset about not being here sooner.”
He finally stretched out, joined the A’s in Kansas City in August, dealt five shutout innings in his first start of the year at Yankee Stadium and hasn’t faltered since. In his next four starts, Manaea gave up just four runs over 24 2/3 innings in four straight wins.
Seems risky to have a pitcher’s sixth start of the
season be a do-or-die playoff, for sure. But the vote of confidence speaks to how hot Manaea’s hand is right now.
“He’s pitched well every time out,” manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday after announcing the decision. “So, we were lucky to have two guys considered in that respect and two guys we’d be comfortable with, but Manea will start.”
That other guy Melvin mentions is, of course, Mike Fiers, who was passed over for the second time to start a wild-card game. Manaea was chosen not only because he’s the hot hand, but also because his lefthand might play an advantage against a Rays lineup with quite a few key lefthanded hitters — it may force the Rays to leave off a few — along with his muchimproved slider that is particularly effective against right-handers to go along with his spicy changeup and fastball.
But Fiers had plenty of upside to starting a game
at the Coliseum, primarily his 15-4 record, but also a 2.90 ERA at home versus his 5.14 ERA on the road — which perhaps was a consideration given, with a win today, Fiers could very well start Game 1 against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Fiers will be on the wild-card roster — there’s 25 spots, space to account for something truly wild, or disastrous. Unlike 2018, as Melvin addresses, the A’s have the luxury of two starters to not only choose between, but back each other up.
There’s also Jesús Luzardo, who’s been piggybacking a couple starters and eating multiple innings since his September call-up. That’s an undersell: he’s demonstrated immense poise and filthy stuff over his 12 innings, allowing just two runs in his first two starts. There’s never been a lack of confidence in his abilities to perform under
harsh spotlights; the touted-prospect weight the 22-year-old burdens only toughened him for moments like what he might face today.
A.J. Puk, another lefthander, could be used out of the bullpen, with righthander Yusmeiro Petit able to eat up high-pressure innings, too.
Like most big-time pitchers, Manaea has the chill spirit one might want to see on the mound in one of the most stressful games a team can play, with one of the most important tasks one player can have in said game. He’s unassuming, still the same kid that showed up to his first tryout in a pair of Walmart jeans and white long sleeves (a no-no for pitchers, of course).
“Lot of hard work and a great attitude, you know Sean,” Melvin said of his starter. “He’s in the same mood every day, a great mood. You can’t tell if it’s pitch day or if it’s an in between day for him. He’s
one of the guys that everyone rallies around, infectious personality always in a good mood. You try to determine if guys are ready for that and he is.”
Manaea sported an afro at the podium when it was announced he would start the wild-card game. Expect to see him back in braids tonight.
• Stephen Piscotty returned from the IL (high ankle sprain) Thursday in Seattle and played his first game since August in the regular-season finale. He won’t be on the wild-card roster.
“I feel bad for him,” Melvin said. “He worked hard to come back from this ... but you have to look at some of the other intangibles, as far as the others on the roster, and unfortunately he won’t be on it.”
This could mean that Robbie Grossman and Seth Brown will be on the roster. Perhaps a familiar Brown/ Mark Canha/Ramón Laureano outfield will start today’s game.