Oakland Athletics: 2015 Season Almanac

Game 9 – Tuesday, April 14, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Game Attendance: Away Game
Season Attendance: 173,367
Lowest Attendance: 15,025 (Game 2)
Game Time: 2:58
Season Time: 26:05

Win Record: 5-4
Win Record vs Astros: 2-0
Streak: W2
AL West Standing: 1st
Magic Number: 153

Winning Pitcher: Kendall Graveman (1-1)
Losing Pitcher: Brad Peacock (0-1)
Pitchers/Pitch Count: Graveman/96, O’Flaherty/18, Otero/20, Abad/2, Clippard/9
Total Pitches per game: 145
Total Pitches per season: 1237

Game Home Runs: 0
Season Home Runs: 6
Game Runs: 4
Season Runs: 55
Runs Rank: 1st
Run Differential: 28
Differential Rank: 3rd

Game RBI Leader: Butler, Zobrist, Vogt, Reddick (1)
Season RBI Leader: Canha (7), Semien (7)
Most RBI’s in Single Game: 4 (Game 3 & 5)

Game RISP: 2 for 8
Game LOB: 5
Season RISP: 36 for 101
Season LOB: 64

Game Batting Average: .226
Lineup Batting Average: .299
Total Players Used in Game: 15
Most Players Used in Game: 19 (Game 6)

Challenged Plays: 0
Total Challenged Plays: 4
Total Overturned Plays: 2

Games Won in Extra Innings: 0
Total Games Played in Extra Innings: 2 (6,7)

Special Notes:

Apr 14, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Kendall Graveman (31) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

To say that this was an important game for Kendall Graveman is an understatement. The expectations for this young pitcher are very high after such a stellar spring training and his first appearance in the green and gold left fans less than thrilled with what they saw. Outing two, however, featured the Graveman seen in Arizona as he pitched 5.1 scoreless innings with three strike outs. It was far from a perfect outing, walking four and allowing four hits, but with a bit of run support and top notch defense to back him up, it was exactly what the Oakland Athletics needed to secure their first series win of 2015 and their first winning streak (2) of the season.

Speaking of defense, Josh Reddick was able to make two plays in deep right field that, at the very least, preserved the shut out but, at most, saved the game from coming apart at the seams. In the eighth, with one out on the board, Evan Gattis came a hair short of a home run and dropped a fly ball deep in the right field corner. Had Reddick not made a gold glover play, Gattis is easily at second base and, possibly, at third. Now with two outs on the board, two men get on base and the batter represents the tie run. With a sharp line drive to right, Reddick again gets where the ball is before the ball knows where it’s going and is able to snag out three without anyone scoring in the inning. Showing the depth of their lineup, again, RBI’s came from the 3, 4, 6, and 8 batters in the lineup.

Sam Fuld, making a strong case to keep him at the top of the everyday lineup, was good for two doubles, including one in his first at bat which would ultimately result in one of the most perfect “manufactured” runs we’ve seen all season when Canha sacrificed him to third and Zobrist sacrificed him home. There are still some legitimate concerns with the bullpen which has given up a number of hits and created some sticky situations but the offense is proving to be clutch and able to get the job done time and time again. This games marks the fourth shutout in 9 games and, in those shutouts, the A’s have managed to score 34 runs. Hopefully, with the eventual return of Sean Doolittle, the bullpen will fall into their roles and be a more consistent force for the team. It is understandable that they’ve had some struggles when you consider the wildly fluctuating run support their given from game to game. Game 10, in Houston, will give the A’s their first chance to sweep a series and go into Kansas City, who are 7-0 at the moment, with a little momentum.

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