Graveman tabbed opening night starter
With Grey ailing, Melvin rewards righthander after solid spring
MESA, Ariz. — Yonder Alonso almost upstaged Kendall Graveman’s big day.
Alonso continued his redhot spring with two homers as the A’s pounded the Milwaukee Brewers 15-5 Thursday at Hohokam Stadium.
Earlier in the day, the A’s finally made it official that Graveman would get the opening night start April 3 against the Los Angeles Angels. With Sonny Gray sidelined by a strained lat muscle, Graveman was the logical choice, but manager Bob Melvin waited to make it official until Thursday.
“He’s excited,” Melvin said of Graveman, who posted a 4.11 ERA last season. “Sonny was our guy, but he’s excited for it.”
At 26, Graveman has become the leader of the A’s young staff with Gray struggling last season and sidelined likely through the first month of this season. Graveman has a 2.84 ERA in the Cactus League this spring, with nine strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings.
In the game, Alonso and the A’s teed off on Milwaukee’s opening day starter, Junior Guerra. Alonso and non-roster second baseman Max Shrock each cracked two-run homers in a fiverun second inning. Trevor Plouffe and Alonso began the third with back-to-back blasts against Guerra, who gave up 10 hits and 12 runs, seven earned, in 3 2/3 innings.
Alonso has five homers and is batting .394 in the Cactus League.
“A lot of work,” the first baseman said when asked about his approach. Ev- ery day I’m coming in with a plan, and mentally and physically I feel healthy and ready to roll.”
Meanwhile, Raul Alcantara helped his case to grab the final rotation spot, keeping the Brewers off the scoreboard until the sixth. He gave up five hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings, walking two and striking out three. For the spring, the 24-yearold right-hander has a 4.50 ERA.
“I felt great. I was really pleased getting to that sixth inning,” Alcantara said through interpreter Juan Dorado. “Today was my best start.
“I worked a little bit with the pitching coach (Curt Young) on having the same arm slot with my fastball, my split and my changeup.”
Melvin agreed with Alcantara’s assessment.
“He struggled with throwing strikes with his breaking ball early and then found it, which is an attribute you want to see.”
Daniel Coulombe, com- peting for a spot in the bullpen, worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings, though he allowed Alcantara’s inherited runners to score.
Chris Parmelee, in the mix for a backup role, cleared the bases with a double off Guerra’s successor, Taylor Jungmann, to make it 12-0 in the fourth. Earlier, Marcus Semien drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly that just missed leaving the park and a ringing double to leftcenter.
Graveman will pitch Friday against the Chicago White Sox at Hohokam Stadium, then one more spring start before the opener.
Sean Manaea and Jharel Cotton will follow Graveman in the rotation.
Graveman becomes the 11th Oakland opening day starter in the last 12 seasons, with only Gray appearing more than once (2014 and 2015) in that period. He was also scheduled to pitch last year’s opener but was scratched because of illness and Rich Hill filled in.