Doolittle impresses in big-league debut
The A’s were not going to score a lot of runs again Tuesday, no matter what anybody said in the clubhouse beforehand about hitting being contagious.
They started five men who are hitting .234 or less, and the Texas Rangers started five who are hitting .288 or better. So, Texas had a much better chance at reversing Monday’s 12-1 outcome than Oakland did repeating it.
The A’s did hit a couple of home runs at the Coliseum, and though the Rangers restored things to their natural order, one thing happened in the 6-3 loss to capture the 11,861 fans’ attention, excitement and imagination:
Sean Doolittle made his major-league debut.
The left-hander came into the game with the A’s trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning and a runner on third base. He struck out Nelson Cruz on a 96 mph fastball and then came back in the sixth to
strike out Mike Napoli and Yorvit Torrealba on servings of Grade 95 and Grade 94 cheese.
“It was really surreal,” Doolittle said. “I was a little nervous and I wanted to establish my fastball.”
That he did. In fact, all 21 pitches he threw were fastballs.
Doolittle wouldn’t strike out all four batters he faced, as Craig Gentry made contact — it went all of 60 feet — but it closed the book on a startling debut. Especially considering Doolittle is a converted first baseman who started the season at Class A.
He blazed through Class A Stockton, Double-A Midland and Triple-A Sacramento, striking out 48 batters and allowing only eight hits in 25 innings.
Doolittle was even better Tuesday.
“He was terrific,” manager Bob Melvin said. “That’s the best offensive lineup in baseball and he blew through three of their guys, all righties. He had no trepidation.”
The A’s offense did do more after Doolittle’s debut, as Collin Cowgill hit his first home run of the season, a two-run screamer to left, in the fifth.
Yoenis Céspedes golfed a low pitch into the left-field bleachers in the sixth to make it 5-3. It was his sixth homer and first since April 25.
The A’s left two runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings, and just couldn’t get out of the 5-0 hole that starter Travis Blackley dug.
The Australian lefty gave up a two-run double to Ian Kinsler and an RBI double to Josh Hamilton in the third inning, a double to Cruz, who would score, in the fourth and an RBI triple to Michael Young in the fifth.