A’s: Home runs from Davis, Olson lift Oakland over O’s
Before Friday’s game, manager Bob Melvin expressed zero concerns about Matt Olson’s power drought.
Olson hadn’t hit a ball out of the park in 2½ weeks, but he clocked a homer to right in the first inning, the second of backto-back blasts by the A’s in a 6-4 win over the reeling Orioles. Jed Lowrie’s RBI single in the sixth provided the margin of victory, and exceptional defense by the A’s helped preserve the win.
Khris Davis blasted a threerun shot just ahead of Olson’s drive; he, too, has been going through something of a funk, he was in a 2-for-29 slide entering Friday.
In the 11 games before Friday, Olson was 5-for-29 with two RBIs. He’d hit .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs in his first 20 games — but he struck out 33 times in that span. Over the past 12 games, Olson — who is in his first full major-league season — has struck out only six times. He didn’t strike out Friday, and he added a double to go with his homer.
“I’ve kind of been grinding out my at-bats, haven’t felt completely right at the plate,” Olson said. “I did some extra work in the cage and hopefully it’s the start of something where I can get rolling.”
Olson said he’d adjusted his posture and timing in his hitting session Friday, trying to regain the rhythm of his swing. “I felt a lot better,” he said. “I was able to square up three balls and I don’t know if I’ve done that in a game yet this year.”
“He’s not just a power hitter, he’s a complete hitter,” manager Bob Melvin said, noting that Olson is working on going the other way. “But the power was going to be there.”
A’s starter Daniel Mengden, coming off a rough outing at Houston in which he failed to make it out of the sixth, allowed a one-out homer to Adam Jones in the first but then settled down. He gave up only two more hits and a walk in his five innings. “He recovered really nicely,” Melvin said. “That’s what you want to see.”
Mengden didn’t get the win, however, because usually reliable reliever Yusmeiro Petit allowed hits to five of the six batters he faced when he entered the game to start the sixth. Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and former A’s infielder Danny Valencia all provided RBI singles to tie the game. Melvin said Petit needed to get some work, but in retrospect, he maybe should have left Mengden in the game a bit longer.
Rookie Lou Trivino, impressive in seven appearances, replaced Petit and got Jace Peterson to hit into a double play, and the A’s regained the lead in the bottom of the inning. Stephen Piscotty reached on a throwing error by shortstop Manny Machado, Jonathan Lucroy doubled and, after Piscotty was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice, Lowrie bounced a two-out single past first to send in Lucroy.
Trivino (2-0) worked a tightrope in the seventh, pitching around a leadoff double by Caleb Joseph. Trivino struck out Trey Mancini, then shortstop Marcus Semien made a superb diving stop up the middle on a shot by Jones and got him at first, thanks to a tag applied by Olson. “If that ball goes through, the run scores, easy,” Olson said. “For him to keep it in and get the out — really nice play.”
After an intentional walk to Machado, Chris Davis hit a rocket toward left, but Matt Joyce got it with a running grab, slamming against the wall to make the play. “A lot of big plays that could change the game,” Olson said. “That’s what you’ve got to do to win these games.”
Lucroy rapped his second double in the eighth and Semien singled him home.
Trivino has an 0.93 ERA. “His stuff is incredible and to have the composure to be thrown into some big scenarios this early, it’s awesome,” Olson said. “He just keeps performing.”