Anderson realizes dream in spot start
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After failing to capitalize on two early chances against Charlie Morton, a weary-looking A’s team did little else the bulk of Monday’s game at Tropicana Field.
The team’s night wasn’t a total loss, though, despite the final score, which was 6-2 in Tampa Bay’s favor. Oakland might have found a fifth starter in Tanner Anderson, a Harvard grad and Tampa native who had struggled at Triple-A Las Vegas but, given a spot start Monday, did a splendid job in his first appearance with the A’s.
“I thought he did great,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Obviously some pressure here, being at home, and he performed past our expectations. … Composure-wise, he looked like he’d been starting all year for us.”
Anderson, 26, attended nearby Plant High School, and he had numerous friends and family members on hand. “My first dream was to pitch at this level, and it happened last year,” said Anderson, who pitched in the Pirates’ bullpen last season. “The second was to pitch at Tropicana, so it was awesome, a dream come true.”
Making liberal use of his sinker, Anderson, 26, allowed three hits and two walks in 52⁄3 innings; the only real issue was that one of the walks came in the same inning as the homer to left he allowed to Brandon Lowe. “I definitely made some mistakes,” he said. “The infield did a tremendous job. I kind of threw to the pitcher I am, tried to get contact, get the defense working. Overall, pretty well. Could have been better.”
Anderson had a 6.26 ERA and had allowed 26 walks and 14 homers in 542⁄3 innings at Las Vegas. Had he struggled Monday, the most likely fifth starter candidate would be Aaron Brooks; the team’s long reliever worked three scoreless innings in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader and he’s out of options, so he’s still certainly a consideration for the job.
“We’ll discuss, the front office has some say in this,” Melvin said. “He pitched well enough to get another look.”
Yusmeiro Petit followed Anderson in the sixth, and he gave up a leadoff double to Yandy Diaz in the seventh, followed by a homer to center by Kevin Kiermaier; Joakim Soria also allowed two-run homer in the eighth to Ji-Man Choi. The A’s bullpen has a 5.00 ERA over the past 22 games.
Oakland’s bats were the bigger issue, though. The team had a few shots early Monday, with two on and one out in the first before Morton struck out Khris Davis and Stephen Piscotty, then with the bases loaded and one out in the third. Morton again K’d Davis and got Piscotty to ground out.
The A’s didn’t get another man on base until Matt Olson walked to open the ninth. Piscotty doubled him home and Robbie Grossman sent in Piscotty with a base hit, but that was it.
Oakland had an excuse — the A’s got into their hotel at 4 a.m. Monday — three days after arriving at Texas at 6 a.m. and playing four games in three days.
“We’re having a tough trip. Hopefully, we get it all out of the way in one trip. It feels like we’ve had five straight nights of naps,” Melvin said. “Over the course of the season, there are going to be some challenges, and it’s just something you have to deal with.”
Asked his worst road trip experience, Melvin immediately responded, “Yeah, this one.”
The A’s spent most of the previous three days in the visitors’ clubhouse at Texas, including an extra four hours Sunday night after their charter plane was damaged by mobile stairs during a windstorm.
Oakland dropped back a game below .500, unable to gain ground the past two weeks. Tampa Bay, which also played four games in three days over the weekend and which had a slight travel delay Sunday evening, has won six of its past seven games. At 41-24, the Rays are atop the AL East.
“Their record is exactly who they are,” Melvin said. “They have great pitching across the board, a sub -3.00 ERA. They have power, some speed, they’re very versatile, they can match up left and right. … They can beat you in different ways. It’s a really good roster, a really good team.”
Marcus Semien had two of the A’s hits; Matt Chapman was 0-for-3 with a walk, and he has one hit in his past 15 at-bats with eight strikeouts, but Tommy Pham robbed him of extra bases with a leaping catch at the wall in left in the fifth. Kiermaier made another sensational catch, jumping at the wall in center for a drive by Jurickson Profar.