Rare steal keys rally against Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Oakland doesn’t steal bases much, but on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium, Dustin Fowler nabbed second to kick-start the A’s winning rally.
Fowler got into scoring position for Jed Lowrie’s RBI goahead single and the A’s proceeded to score four times in the eighth en route to a 5-1 victory over the Royals, giving Oakland the series victory.
The A’s 12 stolen bases are the fewest in the major leagues.
“It was big to get someone in scoring position,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of the team’s first steal in 10 days. “We love Jed up there in scoring-position type situation. It’s a whole different situation if (Fowler) is not on second.”
“People don’t realize how big that steal was, but if he’s on first, it changes the dynamic of the inning for sure,” A’s first baseman Matt Olson said.
After a walk by Khris Davis, Olson crushed a three-run homer into the fountains in right-center to complete the scoring. The A’s first baseman has six hits in his past 15 at-bats with four homers. He drove in eight runs in the three-game series at Kansas City.
“Got the green light 3-0, and that’s one of the best fastball counts you can get,” Olson said. “So he threw it over the plate, and I was ready for it.”
Daniel Gossett started for Oakland and turned in nice work before leaving after five with elbow tightness, a diagnosis that creates concern for pitchers because occasionally it leads to Tommy John surgery. He will return to Oakland on Monday for an MRI exam, but Gossett, who hasn’t previously had an elbow issue, said it’s merely a precaution.
“I had a little discomfort in the fifth,” he said. “I just didn’t want to overextend anything or have it lead to anything that might be worrisome.”
The A’s have had trouble getting through a road trip without losing at least one starter to an injury. Andrew Triggs (right arm nerve irritation) and Brett Anderson (shoulder) both went on the disabled list on the previous road trip, and Trevor Cahill missed 10 days with an elbow impingement earlier in May. The A’s lost starters Jharel Cotton and A.J. Puk to Tommy John surgery before the season even started.
“We have plenty of depth and I’m glad we acquired the depth we did, but we’ve been losing quite a bit of it,” Melvin said. “Hopefully, this won’t be a longterm thing and it’s a next-manup type of thing.”
Gossett’s final two innings were particularly strong Sunday; he needed just eight pitches in the fourth and seven in the fifth.
Lou Trivino (3-0) replaced Gossett to start the sixth and got extra time to warm up because he hadn’t had time to do so in the bullpen. He worked two scoreless innings and got the win. Yusmeiro Petit pitched a scoreless eighth, and Blake Treinen, whose family was on hand for the series from neighboring Kansas, had a 1-2-3 ninth.
“That’s always a tough situation, get loose quick when you’re not expecting it,” Gossett said. “That was a heck of a job. Lou came in and does nasty Lou stuff to get us out of it, Petit after him, and Treinen, his shutdown stuff.”
Oakland struck first. Mark Canha — in left field with Matt Joyce out with back tightness — doubled in the third and Jonathan Lucroy singled him home.
The Royals responded in the bottom of the inning, with Jon Jay smacking a homer to rightcenter with two outs. It was the center fielder’s first homer since July 5, 2017, a span of 442 at-bats, which was the longest current streak in the majors by a nonpitcher.
In his previous start, Gossett gave up three consecutive twoout solo homers in a loss to Tampa Bay. On Sunday, he got out of the inning quickly when Whit Merrifield flied out to the warning track in center.
Should Gossett need a stay on the DL, as is typical with elbow discomfort, right-hander Chris Bassitt is likely to be recalled.