Oakland Athletics Enjoy a Pretty Good Weekend
By Mark Sigmon
Most Oakland Athletics fans were probably pretty happy going into Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
After Coco Crisp blasted a grand slam and Marcus Semien followed him up with a solo shot to put the Oakland Athletics ahead 6-2 in the sixth inning, I was thinking the A’s were having a most excellent weekend. Unfortunately, John Axford and the rest of the A’s bullpen managed to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.
Even with a disappointing loss on Sunday, the Oakland Athletics had a very good weekend down in Anaheim. They moved out of last place by taking three out of four from the Angels. It’s very hard to sweep a team under any conditions, and a four-game sweep is especially difficult. The first three games were incredible.
Thursday night, the A’s got to Tim Lincecum and cruised to a 5-4 win.
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Friday night’s game looked to be an exercise in frustration early. Coco Crisp led off the game with a solo home run, but then Albert Pujols got to Eric Surkamp for a two run shot in the bottom of the first. Then in the bottom of the second, Surkamp gave up a couple of base hits. Kole Calhoun came to the plate with runners at first and third and one out. Surkamp managed to strike him out.
Mike Trout came to the plate and Surkamp got him to hit a come backer right to the pitcher. Then Surkamp took two steps towards first and tried this long, lame underhand toss to first base that pulled Yonder Alonso off the bag. The go-ahead run scored.
If I was Bob Melvin, I would have taken Surkamp out of the game and put him on a plane back to the Nashville Sounds. Melvin, though, is a patient man and after a brief visit to the mound, Surkamp regained his composure. Though, that play might have cost him his slot on the major league roster when everyone recovers from various ailments.
The Oakland Athletics came roaring back from that brain cramp and went on to defeat the Angels 7-4 thanks in large part to Khris Davis‘ three run homer in the top of the eighth. It was especially gratifying to win that game because the A’s were up against Jared Weaver. Weaver embarrassed the A’s by throwing a complete game shutout in Oakland. This time, the A’s knocked him out of the game after 4.2 innings.
Saturday night, Dillon Overton made his major league debut. He was very impressive. He gave up two home runs in the bottom of the first inning. One could argue that giving up two home runs before recording two outs was not very impressive, but I would disagree.
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It would have been pretty easy for Overton to think to himself, “Oh my God, my stuff is good against minor league hitters, but I have to be perfect now that I’m in the majors.” Then he could have given up five walks and four more runs.
A lot of rookie pitchers try to be too fine and they end up falling behind hitters and then grooving pitches. Overton never panicked. Instead, he seemed to settle down. Overton pitched into the sixth inning and the Oakland Athletics won 7-3.
One thing I appreciate about the Oakland Athletics’ front office is that Billy Beane and others are willing to admit some experiments just have not worked out. Chris Coghlan did not work out. Danny Valencia is working out. Sean Manaea, Daniel Mengden and Overton seem to be working out.
John Axford, not so much. Axford has closing experience and at the beginning of the year he was effective. Lately, however, he has been ineffective. Axford has not had a “clean” inning since June 12 in Cincinnati. Since that time, he has made six appearances and pitched 3.1 innings. He has given up ten hits, four walks and six runs in those six appearances. I think it is time to concede that this experiment has not worked.
It is time to promote Ryan Dull to set up man in the eighth and let Sean Doolittle or Axford take the seventh depending on the matchups. After Axford allowed the bottom of the Angels order to score the tying runs in the eighth on three hits and a walk, it might be time to move Axford to mop-up man. It may be time to give up on the Axford experiment.
So the Oakland Athletics went down to Anaheim and took three out of four from the Angels. If it had gone the other way, the A’s would have been hopelessly buried in last place. Now, the team is getting Josh Reddick back. Rich Hill will be rejoining the rotation very soon. Sean Manaea is almost ready to come back as well. Everyone is getting healthy and the A’s are hitting well.
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Hopefully the team has seen the last of the cellar of the AL West.