On Wednesday, the Oakland A’s will get to see how Jesus Luzardo can bounce back from adversity.
For the most part, Jesus Luzardo has had nothing but success at the major league level. He would give up the occasional run, and did run out of gas in the fourth inning of his outing on July 29, but had generally dominated the competition. Luzardo was carving through the opposition, getting plenty of ground balls and letting his defense do its job.
Then came his outing on Friday. He was moved up one day due to Frankie Montas‘ back issues, although it would have been on his normal day of rest. Nonetheless, Luzardo was hammered by the Giants, allowing six runs on nine hits, including two homers, and two walks over 3.2 innings.
On Wednesday, Luzardo gets to return to the mound. He will face a Diamondbacks team that has suddenly caught fire, winning six in a row to pull their way back into the National League playoff picture.
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This is a key start for Luzardo. Montas, perhaps still struggling with his back issues, was crushed in his outing on Tuesday, allowing nine runs on six hits and four walks while recording just five outs. The A’s managed to get through the rest of the game with only Lou Trivino and Daniel Mengden, but they still need to have a starter pitch deeper into the game.
Meanwhile, the A’s, who had been the hottest team in baseball, have suddenly gone through a bit of a rough patch. They are 3-4 following a nine game winning streak, having lost two games in a row. They need a strong outing following Montas’ struggles.
The ball is now in Luzardo’s hands. He is expected to be the future ace of the rotation, a pitcher that the A’s can ride into the postseason. With that status, there are expectations – Luzardo would need to dominate in situations like this, saving the bullpen and turning the A’s momentum around. This is his chance to do just that.
For the Oakland A’s, Wednesday is a chance to see how Jesus Luzardo handles coming back from adversity. It may also be the start of his ascension to being the ace of the rotation.