A’s have been down this road before
Team isn’t hitting panic button after being swept
The A’s are embarrassed. And they have every right to be.
The defending American League West champions never held a single lead as they were swept in four games by the division-rival Houston Astros. The A’s are playing ugly baseball right now, and it’s led to their first 0-4 start in 34 years.
No team in their right minds would hit the panic button after four games, but the A’s will have to play the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers with some pronounced urgency as they try to break the streak.
There is inspiration for a quick turnaround. Here are a few reasons to stay optimistic. This has happened before
The 1987 A’s were a team in transition. Manager Tony La Russa was brought on midseason the year prior and pulled the talent on that roster into a .500 ballclub that would go on to win three straight pennants, including the A’s last World
Series in 1989.
But the situation in ‘87 wasn’t quite like this one, which has a club that entered the season as a postseason hopeful. Perhaps this year’s situation is more like 2001 with the Big Three of Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson and Barry Zito, Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada that went 2-10 to start the season and 8-17 in the month of April. That team went 58-17 in the second half on its way to a 102-60 record and infamous loss to the New York Yankees in the ALDS.
Or, if you want to go more recent, the 2012 A’s team went 4-7 to start the season, finished the first half 45-45 and went on a 51-25 tear in the second half to finish with 94 wins and a division title. Albeit, that run was somewhat unexpected. As was the 2018 run, in which the team went 4-8 to start the season and finished with 97 wins and a wildcard berth.
Slow starts have been a staple of this particular group over the last few years. The A’s went 14-19 in March and April of 2019, finishing with 97 wins again. They went 4-3 to start the 2020 season before going on a nine-game win streak, bolstering them tremendously in the 60-game year.
The A’s are no stranger to the slow start, and this team is used to overcoming them, too.
SOME GEMS IN THE RUBBLE >> A few A’s performed relatively well despite the beatdown. They could lead the charge for the A’s to make chase early on. Matt Olson’s strong spring performance is translating nicely to the regular season. He’s not hit a home run yet and he’s just 4 for 14 with a double. But the hard
contact he’s made is a strong indication that he’s seeing the ball well and making the kind of contact that will make him one of the team’s biggest threats this year. He won’t maintain his 99.5 mph exit velocity he’s averaging right now, but it’s a sign that that kind of contact will translate to more power over time.
Canha is also starting to heatupinhisnewroleasthe everyday leadoff hitter. Canha has a hit in three of the first four games with two walks on Saturday and two hits in Sunday’s game.
Jed Lowrie is also off to a strong start in his third stint with the A’s. The 36-year-old is playing a strong second base and has lent a similarly strong approach at the plate. He’s 3 for 11 with a double in three games.
INJURIES AREN’T HELPING >> It’s no excuse, and the team will say as much. But key injuries have barred the A’s from going at this grueling stretch of games at 100 percent strength.
They entered the season without new closer Trevor Rosenthal, who is dealing with some shoulder fatigue. He is on medication for it and has been placed on the 10-day injured list.
Sean Murphy was hit on the wrist by a pitch on opening night. He’s been out since that game. His powerful bat and game-calling are sorely missed. Ramón Laureano has been out of commission since he jammed his wrist sliding into first base in Game 2. He was off to a strong start, going 3 for 7 with a triple and a double in two games.
IT’S TOO EARLY IN THE SEASON TO PANIC >> The A’s are embarrassed by the 0-4 start. They know they haven’t played good baseball. And they know they can be better.
Even if the core has mostly stayed intact since 2020 — Matt Chapman, Olson, Canha, Laureano, pitchers Jesús Luzardo, Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt and some bullpen pillars — the team is allowing
itself some time to adjust to the new additions, such as Lowrie, shortstop Elvis Andrus and, eventually, Rosenthal, among other new bullpen mates.
“I don’t think there’s any panic,” Canha said. “That series had the feel of, we’re trying to feel out who we are and we have a different roster and a different team than we had last year. Nobody is too down on themselves over what happened. It was bad. We know that. We also know we have a whole lot of baseball left.” ROSTER MOVES >> Chad Pinder was placed on the 10-day IL after sustaining a left knee sprain in Sunday’s game. He sprained it as he landed hard crashing into the wall, making a catch on Jose Altuve’s fly ball.
A.J. Puk was recalled from the A’s alternate site to bolster the bullpen, which was used heavily during the four-game series against the Houston Astros. The A’s bullpen recorded a 8.56 ERA in the four losses.