Inside: Montas gets huge Game 4 start.
Frankie Montas will start his first career postseason game today in yet another elimination scenario for the A’s as they try to even their American League Division Series against the Houston Astros.
A’s manager Bob Melvin announced Montas as the Game 4 starter after the A’s rallied in Game 3 to keep their season alive, winning 9-7.
Melvin’s counterpart, Dusty Baker, declined to name a starter with his team leading the best- of- 5 series 2-1.
Montas was the A’s opening day starter, but he battled injuries that limited his effectiveness, leading to concerns over whether he would be a candidate for Oakland’s postseason roster. The right-hander made the decision much easier for the A’s when he struck out 13 over six strong innings on the final day of the regular season against the Seattle Mariners.
Montas was in consideration to start Game 3 of the wild-card series against the White Sox. But the A’s opted for veteran Mike Fiers and chose to use Montas out of the bullpen. He actually fared better than Fiers in the series- clinching win as he tossed two innings of one-run ball in relief. That success moved Montas ahead of his teammate on the depth chart and made him the clear choice to start Game 4.
Given Fiers’ struggles against Chicago, there’s no guarantee Melvin would have him start Game 5 if the A’s are able to extend the series behind Montas. The A’s could also choose to bring budding ace Chris Bassitt back on short rest and make Fiers available in relief over each of the next two days. LA STELLA GOES OUT >> Melvin said after the game Xrays taken of A’s second baseman Tommy La Stella’s elbow came back negative. Melvin’s status for Game 4 won’t be decided until today.
A 90 mph pitch from Astros reliever Brooks Raley rode in on La Stella and hit him right above the protective pad on his right elbow. La Stella went down in a heap. After the A’s trainers took a look at him, La Stella left the game with Nate Orf pinch-running for him at first base. Orf then took the field in the bottom of the inning in La Stella’s spot at second base.
If La Stella can’t play, Melvin’s options include Tony Kemp, the A’s starter at second base before they acquired La Stella, and Orf. HOMERS KEEP COMING >> The temperature in Los Angeles was milder on Wednesday, down to about 80 degrees, but that didn’t cool off the sluggers in the A’s and Astros lineups. They continued to send baseballs sailing over the fence at Dodger Stadium in Game 3 of their American League Division Series.
There were seven more home runs, including five by the A’s, as Oakland staved off elimination with a 9-7 victory.
T he basepaths were empty when La Stella, Mark Canha, Matt Olson and Marcus Semien went deep. What else is new?
Of the A’s first nine home runs in the series, eight were solo shots.
But the 10th home run was anything but a solo variety. Chad Pinder’s second homer of the series, an opposite-field shot over the short fence in right, came with two runners aboard and the A’s trailing 7- 4 in the top of the seventh.
The blast set an A’s record for home runs in a series, surpassing the nine they hit in a sweep of the Giants in the 1989 World Series.
This series marked the first time in Major League Baseball history that both teams had hit at least eight home runs through the first three games of a postseason series.
BAKER: GREINKE HAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN
ARM >> Houston A stros right-hander Zack Greinke has no structural damage in his pitching arm, manager Dusty Baker said prior to Wednesday’s Game 3.
Greinke initially was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against the Athletics before being scratched on Tuesday. The six-time All- Star tested the arm following Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles before having a lengthy conversation with pitching coach Brent Strom.
Baker didn’t rule out the possibility that Greinke could be available today if the series isn’t over.
But Baker clearly would prefer not pushing the issue with Greinke’s sore arm.
Greinke, who turns 37 on Oct. 21, struggled late in the regular season and then was pulled after four innings of his first-round start against the Minnesota Twins.