A’s rookie will get Game 1 start as team looks to end run of postseason failures.
In something of a minor surprise, the A’s are going with a rookie, and a lefthander at that, in Game 1 of the wildcard series against the White Sox.
Jesús Luzardo will get the ball Tuesday against a club that is 140 against lefthanded starters this season, and as expected, staff ace Chris Bassitt will start Game 2. Manager Bob Melvin did not announce who would go in a potential Game 3, but he said there is a possibility the A’s will carry all six of their starters on the wildcard roster.
Luzardo, who turns 23 on Wednesday, worked three scoreless innings in relief in last year’s wildcard game, and Melvin said that was a consideration. “He looked like a veteran on the mound, he pitched really well,” Melvin said. “He’s composed, he’s got
great stuff, he’s one of those guys who relishes these type of games — at a young age, that’s rare to see.”
Luzardo also believes that experience will serve him well, saying, “I think getting my feet wet in postseason baseball last year really will help me a lot throughout this year and moving forward in my career . ... Hopefully, I can do the same thing for them this year.”
Eight of the nine homers Luzardo allowed this year came against righthanded batters, and the White Sox’s top five home run hitters, including MVP candidate José Abreu, are righthanded. Righthanded hitters have a .325 onbase percentage against Luzardo, compared to .283 for lefthanded hitters, and Chicago is batting .285 with a .364 onbase percentage against lefties, with 27 homers in 442 atbats.
Abreu, Edwin Encarnacion, Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada each has hit righthanders better this season than lefties. (Encarnacion and Moncada have higher onbase percentages against lefthanders.) And only four of Abreu’s 19 homers came off lefties. Maybe it’s a roll of the dice to go with a lefty against the first team in majorleague history to go undefeated against lefthanded starters — White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said Monday that the A’s “didn’t do their homework” — but most of Chicago’s wins came against lefties who aren’t Luzardo’s level. The AL Central had a bevy of top righthanders but didn’t boast an impressive crop of lefthanded starters this season.
Luzardo, asked whether he was concerned about the White Sox’s prowess against lefties, said, “Not really, no. Just because I feel like every pitcher’s different, every lefty has different stuff. We’ll see how my stuff plays against them.”
Luzardo’s last outing of the season came in relief in Los Angeles on Thursday, as the A’s tried to get him work on his regular day and keep him on turn for Game 1. It didn’t go well: He gave up three hits, three walks and three runs in three innings.
“Last outing probably was a little bumpy for my liking, but I feel good, my stuff is good, I’m healthy,” he said. “So I’m just ready to go.”
Lucas Giolito, who had a solid season (3.48 ERA, 97 strikeouts) will go in Game 1 for the White Sox, and Game 2 is shaping up as a tremendous matchup, with Oakland’s best starter, the onetime White Sox pitcher Bassitt, facing former Astros ace Dallas Keuchel. Bassitt finished in the top 10 in WAR in the American League at 2.1 — a tick ahead of Keuchel at 2.0. Keuchel’s 1.99 ERA was second among qualified starters in the league, with Bassitt third at 2.29.
Sean Manaea, who finished strong this season, had been a consideration to start Game 1 and might be a good bet in most series to get the ball at some point, but the White Sox’s success rate against lefties might point more toward Mike Fiers or a mix of starters if there is a winnertakeall Game 3.
Fiers also is available in long relief and his numbers against the White Sox are terrific. He’s 40 with a 1.58 ERA lifetime, and Abreu is 3for20 against him, Encarnacion 3for28 and Nomar Mazara 6for29.