A's shift struggling Fujinami to bullpen
A's rookie pitcher Shintaro Fujinami is being moved to the bullpen after struggling in his first four major league starts.
Manager Mark Kotsay said before Monday night's game against the Angels in Anaheim that the Japanese right-hander would be available for relief duty starting today.
Fujinami is 0-4 with a 14.40 ERA. He allowed eight runs on seven hits, with three walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches in 2 1/3 innings during Saturday's 18-3 loss at Texas.
Kotsay said Fujinami was told Sunday about the plan going forward.
“It's tough. We gave him four outings,” Kotsay said. “His fastball and splitter can be devastating and in shorter stints. We're hopeful to get him out there to build his confidence back up and just continue to grow from there.”
The 29-year-old Fujinami signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with the A's after spending 10 seasons with the Central League's Hanshin Tigers in Japan.
RAYS 8, ASTROS 3 >> Taj Bradley won his third consecutive start to begin his big league career and Tampa Bay set a modern era MLB record with its 14th consecutive home win to begin a season, beating Houston on Monday.
The Rays (20-3 overall) had shared the mark with the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers.
Bradley (3-0) allowed three runs and four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
Rays shortstop Wander Franco collected four hits, an RBI and scored twice.
The Astros had a four-game winning streak halted.
BRAVES 11, BRAVES 0 >> Spencer Strider took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and struck out 13 as Atlanta snapped a four-game skid, hitting five homers in a home rout over Miami.
Jean Segura singled to left field to end Strider's no-hit bid with one out in the eighth, and Jon Berti followed with a single. But the righthander fanned the next two batters to finish his dominant outing with a flourish.
Strider (3-0) had a perfect game going until Gold Glove first baseman Matt Olson made a fielding error on a leadoff grounder by Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the seventh.
Sam Hilliard homered twice, and Sean Murphy, Eddie Rosario and Austin Riley also connected for the Braves.
BLUE JAYS 5, WHITE SOX 2 >> Chris Bassitt pitched 6 1/3 innings before leaving because of a sore lower back, Cavan Biggio hit a three-run home run and Toronto beat visiting Chicago.
Bassitt (3-2) called manager John Schneider and the trainer to the mound in the seventh after bouncing his first pitch to Luis Robert Jr. Zach Pop came on and finished the inning.
Bassitt allowed two runs and three hits to win back-to-back starts for the first time with the Blue Jays.
ORIOLES 5, RED SOX 4 >> Ramón Urías hit a tworun double in the fourth inning, and Baltimore rallied from a four-run deficit against Chris Sale, beating visiting Boston for its seventh straight victory.
Sale (1-2) allowed nine hits — one by each member of the Orioles lineup — in five innings, failing to hold on to a 4-0 lead after Triston Casas and Rafael Devers homered for Boston.
Dean Kremer (2-0) wasn't great either for the Orioles, but he made it into the sixth inning and gave his team a chance to come back.