Mengden foiled again by A’s anemic offense
OAKLAND — The margin for error is slim enough for a rookie pitcher, but it’s microscopic so far for A’s righthander Daniel Mengden.
Mengden had his third consecutive strong start in a 4-2 loss Wednesday to the Milwaukee Brewers, and all he’s got to show for it is an 0-3 record and the distinction of joining Brad Rigby (1997) and Mike Morgan (1978) as the only pitchers in Oakland history to lose each of his first three decisions. Ouch. “I think we’ve been in good situations to win, but that’s how baseball goes,” Mengden said. “You win some, you lose some. We’ll get it eventually.”
The game essentially was decided when the Brewers scored three times in the fifth inning, getting the first run on a safety
squeeze bunt by Yadiel Rivera and two more on a two-out, two-run homer by second baseman Scooter Gennett.
Although all three runs were earned, they were preventable had Mengden and the A’s made plays that were there to be made.
With one out in the fifth, Ramon Flores doubled and advanced to third when Coco Crisp threw back toward second instead of to third base. With no A’s infielder making an aggressive move to get the ball, Flores went to third and Crisp was charged with an error.
Next up was Rivera, who pushed a bunt to Mengden’s right. Mengden had time to field the ball and get Flores at the plate, but he bobbled the ball and the run scored to tie it at 1-1. No error was charged, but Mengden and catcher Josh Phegley believed a clean play would have been an out at the plate.
After Aaron Hill grounded out, Gennett tied into a 3-1 fastball for an opposite-field home run and a 3-1 lead.
That was all the runs Milwaukee would need, although Kirk Niewenhuis added a solo home run off Liam Hendricks in the eighth inning before a Coliseum crowd of 13,586.
“Basically, it’s one pitch — the home run — and on the safety squeeze he’s got a chance to make a play and the ball popped out of his hands,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “So he pitches well, we’re just not giving him any support.”
The A’s scored one run in each of Mengden’s first two starts and had one run in the six innings he pitched Wednesday. He struck out nine and walked one in six innings, giving him 21 strikeouts in 18 innings. He struck out Ryan Braun twice and made Jonathan Lucroy look foolish swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt.
“We’ve seen right away he’s a tough kid,” Melvin said. “He pitches his first game in Cincinnati and it’s like a hundred degrees and from the first pitch of the game looked like he belonged. His presence is impressive as anything.”
Mengden, 23, said he is not frustrated by the end result.
“I thought I threw well, even though I’m 0-3 now, but that’s just baseball,” Mengden said. “I’m content with how I’m throwing. There’s room for work, throwing better pitches with runners in scoring position, stuff like that.”
Shortstop Marcus Semien said Mengden has uncommon command for a rookie in that he can throw four pitches — fastball, curve, change-up and slider — with confidence.
“That’s pretty rare for a young kid to come to the big leagues with a fourpitch mix to both sides of the plate,” Semien said. “He’s given us a chance every time he’s pitched. It’s just about putting up some runs. But you can’t control won-loss (record). You can control the conviction you have in each pitch, which he’s shown that he has.”
The A’s managed five hits in seven innings off Milwaukee starter Junior Guerra, who improved to 4-1. Guerra, 31, spent 2014 pitching in Italy and didn’t get his first major league win until this season.
Crisp accounted for the A’s first run with a solo home run in the fourth, his sixth of the season, and Max Muncy singled home a run in the seventh. Relievers Will Smith and Tyler Thornburg finished for Milwaukee, with Thornburg getting his second save with 11⁄3 scoreless innings.
n The error charged to Crisp snapped his 117-game errorless streak. The A’s have made an error in nine straight games and 13 of their last 15.
n Rich Hill threw “upward of 50 pitches, maybe more” in a bullpen simulated game, according to Melvin, and will pitch for Class-A Stockton in a rehab start Monday. Hill (8-3) has been on the disabled list since June 9 with a groin strain. Melvin hopes Hill will be available after one minor league start.
n Arismendy Alcantara made his debut as a pinch runner in the seventh inning for Muncy and stole a base. He is expected to start at an undetermined position in the upcoming series against the Angels in Anaheim.
n The A’s (29-42) are 513 in June, the worst record in the American League.