Next three series provide chance to gain ground in wild-card race
OAKLAND >> The next three series against teams with losing records will be the Oakland A’s best chance to gain ground in a contentious wild card race.
With 22 games left in the regular season, the A’s are tied with the Seattle Mariners two games back of the second wild-card spot held by the New York Yankees, who lost six straight heading
into Friday’s games. On an eight-game win streak, the Toronto Blue Jays have surged into contention, a half-game back of the Yankees. The Boston Red Sox hold a one-game lead for the first wild-card spot.
The A’s start this crucial stretch with a big series win over the Chicago White Sox under their belt and will need to go on a run against the Texas Rangers at home, then the Kansas City Royals and Los Angels Angels on the road. The Rangers landed in Oakland on a four-game winning streak, but are one of two teams — along with the Baltimore Orioles — to be officially eliminated from postseason contention with a .367
winning percentage.
The A’s saw Rangers starter Glenn Otto in Friday’s opener, then familiar left-handed starters Kolby Allard and Taylor Hearn. Though last place in the American League West, the Rangers have taken seven of 16 games against the A’s so far this season, including a series win in Arlington most recently.
Oakland sent Paul Blackburn to the mound on Friday, then Cole Irvin and James Kaprielian for the last two games. Because both haven’t pitched this deep into a season in their careers, both have been unable to pitch more than five innings over their last three and two starts, respectively. Quality starts by Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea provided the bullpen some relief, but the team could benefit from their most inexperienced starters being
able to go deeper into their games this week.
Next week, the A’s travel to Kansas City for three games against a Royals team with a .450 winning percentage. The A’s took three wins a fourgame series against them at the Coliseum earlier this year. The A’s have a 12-4 record against the Angels (.493 winning percentage), who’ve been without superstar Mike Trout for almost the entire season.
The A’s may need to win each of those series to help their postseason positioning heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, where they play the first-place Houston Astros and Mariners twice each -- at home and on the road.
COULD CHRIS BASSITT RETURN? >> A’s starter Bassitt threw a successful flat ground session on Thursday and will throw a 20-pitch bullpen session today. He also is throwing and catching a football to test his peripheral vision, a key two weeks after surgery to repair facial fractures. Based
on his progress, Bassitt could return in a few weeks as a starter again, manager Bob Melvin said, with some exceptions.
“A starting role, maybe not with a full complement of pitches,” Melvin said. “We could potentially start him in a game and get him up to three innings or something like that. I think we’re still debating where we go from here as far as that goes.
“But a lot of it is going to have to do with how he feels and how he works along the way. Knowing him, he’s going to show up for some games. Plotting it out, he might be able to give us some meaningful innings.”
SETH BROWN RETURNS FROM COVID-19 IL >> Brown was reinstated from the IL after he missed 12 games from Aug. 27 to Sept. 9 after testing positive for COVID-19. Brown was symptomatic and played a rehab game for the Stockton Ports on Thursday to get back into the rhythm of play. Catcher Austin Allen
was optioned to make room for Brown on the active roster.
With left-handed DH Mitch Moreland out for the regular season with left wrist tendinitis, Brown’s return provides needed options from the left side.
“It gives us, even when he doesn’t start, some options in game where we were a little more limited without the role Mitch played as well,” Melvin said. “It obviously gives us a little more power, so it’s nice to have him back.”
FIERS HAS ENCOURAGING SESSION >> Fiers, who’s been on the IL since May 7 with a sprained right elbow, threw an encouraging 20-pitch session to hitters on Friday. He should need to pitch a few more innings before the A’s chart his next steps toward a possible return.
“Getting him on the mound and facing hitters was a step in the right direction,” Melvin said, adding he “couldn’t see why not” Fiers could make a return to game action this season.