Blackburn impresses in debut
A battle of old versus new unfolded Saturday at the Coliseum, where 23-year-old A’s starter Paul Blackburn made his big-league debut against 42year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, making his 385th majorleague appearance.
As a bonus, Blackburn is a local guy who grew up in Brentwood and played at Heritage High School. “Especially for a local guy here, hopefully the baseball gods shine on him today,” Oakland manager and Bay Area native Bob Melvin said before the game.
Blackburn hung right in there
with Dickey, allowing one unearned run in six innings in the A’s 4-3 loss to Atlanta. He estimated he had 300-400 friends and family members on hand, but added, “When I walked out to start warming up, it sounded like thousands of people.”
He was so excited Friday night, he couldn’t sleep. “Seeing guys you’ve watched on TV and facing them is kind of like a ‘wow’ moment,” Blackburn said. “I had a lot of fun today. It was awesome.”
Khris Davis clobbered his 22nd homer, a two-run shot, to tie the game in the eighth, but the Braves scored an unearned run against Santiago Casilla in the ninth for their second win in a row in Oakland.
Oakland’s defense, which had been on the upswing, had an off day. In the second inning, Tyler Flowers reached on an error by shortstop Franklin Barreto and scored on Danny Santana’s one-out double. That was the only run in Blackburn’s innings; he allowed three hits and a walk and struck out four. Sean Doolittle succeeded Blackburn in the seventh and, with one out, Santana reached when Barreto and Matt Joyce collided in shallow left field. Both men called for the ball and Barreto, backpedaling fast, waved for it, but Joyce — who was better positioned to make the catch coming in — didn’t see him. Barreto caught the ball but lost it on impact.
“That’s something that’s happened twice now, and it’s frustrating,” Joyce said. “I told
Yonder (Alonso) to translate for me and told him it’s my fault if he doesn’t hear me. If I don’t call it loud enough and enough times, I have to make that adjustment.”
Santana promptly stole second and third and scored on a base hit by Dansby Swanson.
In the ninth, Santana reached on Barreto’s second error, stole second and scored on another single by Swanson to put Atlanta ahead.
“Obviously, I feel a little bad, but the only way not to make errors is not to be playing,” Barreto said. “I’ll keep my head up, keep working hard and keep trying to make those plays.”
“He just turned 21 years old, and when you don’t make a couple of plays, it gets to you a little bit and you have to fight through it,” Melvin said. “And he will.”
Oakland’s run off Dickey came in the fourth, when Davis walked, Alonso reached on an infield single and Ryon Healy knocked a single up the middle.
Healy had three hits but had a rough day physically, fouling a pitch off his left foot in the sixth,
then having Santana bang the same foot sliding into third.
As good as Blackburn’s outing was, he’s likely to head back to Triple-A Nashville. He was making a spot start, with Jharel Cotton pushed back because of a blister. Melvin said that Cotton will start Monday against the White Sox if all goes well.
Given Blackburn’s success, he is likely to be the first pitcher recalled should the A’s need a starter, or he potentially could remain as a long reliever.
Also expected back Monday: third baseman Matt Chapman, who was the DH for Class A Stockton on Saturday. Matt Olson probably will be demoted to make room for Chapman.
Marcus Semien, who could be back in less than a week from April wrist surgery, was 2-for-5 as Nashville’s shortstop Saturday. When he returns, Barreto will be sent down unless the team has traded Jed Lowrie.