Home struggles continue for offense in shutout loss to M’s
Slugger Davis placed on 10-day disabled list
OAKLAND >> The A’s continue to struggle scoring runs at Rickey Henderson Field, named for the man who scored more runs than anyone in baseball history.
After Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners in front of 6,991 fans, the smallest home crowd since 2003, the A’s have failed to plate more than two runs in seven consecutive home games.
And this is a team that averaged six runs per outing on a just-completed 10game trip against the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
“We just didn’t do anything offensively,” manager Bob Melvin said. “For whatever reason, we’re just not swinging the bats real well.”
As Melvin suggested, it’s too early to gauge the “KD effect,” but the club placed slugger Khris Davis (sprained right groin) on the 10-day disabled list and promptly labored through its sixth straight game at the Coliseum without a home run. The A’s hit 19 homers while going 7-3 on the East Coast swing.
Their most recent homer at home? A two-run shot by Davis in the 12th inning to beat the Orioles 2-0 back on May 5.
Davis won’t be around to help for at least the rest of this homestand. Three days after he was injured on a check swing at Toronto, Davis said he wasn’t feel much pain but had no quarrel with the team’s cautious approach to his recovery.
“I could probably come back before 10 days but they just don’t want me limping out there. They want me at full strength,” Davis said. “I know at any moment it
could flare up. I just want to make sure I’m healthy.”
The right-handed hitting slugger is batting just .235 but he’s hit a team-leading 13 home runs and his 38 RBIs are third in the American League. Davis’ 98 home runs the past three seasons are the most in the majors and his 250 RBIs are the third-most.
The A’s finished with just three hits and 10 strikeouts, including their final four batters of the night. Mariners starter Marco Gonzales allowed only a pair of twoout singles by Jed Lowrie through his seven innings.
The team’s latest quiet night at the plate undermined a strong return to the majors by right-hander Daniel Gossett, who allowed just one run (unearned) through seven innings.
“I thought he was great,” Melvin said afterward. “That’s about as confident as we’ve seen him pitch. (Velocity) was there used all his pitches, threw more changeups
today. He kept them off balance.”
Gossett made a careerhigh 104 pitches (72 strikes) in seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five and walking one.
Gossett began the season with Oakland, but was sent down after posting an 11.05 earned run average through two starts. He returned to Oakland after going 4-0 with a 1.63 ERA in seven appearances with Triple-A Nashville.
“I was excited to get back, a little nervous to be honest,” said Gossett, noting he made some adjustments during his time in Nashville, slowing down his delivery and mixing in his changeup more often.
Mentally, he said he’s trying to stay aggressive and confident. “If you don’t have anything to be confident about, fake it,” he said. “You have to be confident on the mound.”
The Mariners scored their only run in the fourth when Guillermo Heredia doubled down the left-field line, went to third on a fly ball to right and scored when shortstop Marcus Semien mishandled a grounder by Kyle Seager.
Gossett benefitted from two great catches by right fielder Stephen Piscotty, including one that robbed Mike Zunino of a home run in the third inning. Left fielder Mark Canha made a tough diving grab by in the ninth.
• The A’s brought up infielder Franklin Barreto to fill Davs’ spot. Barreto started at second base and was 0-for-2 before coming out for a pinch-hitter.
• With starters Brett Anderson (shoulder) and Andrew Triggs (triceps) still on the shelf, Melvin announced Josh Lucas will make his first major league start today. Lucas, 27, has pitched twice in relief this season, including for 3 2/3 innings last Friday after Anderson left in the first inning at Toronto.
• The A’s also announced right-hander Wilmer Font was designated for assignment.