Oakland A’s still feeling effects of Monday’s doubleheader

The Oakland A’s were still feeling the effects of their doubleheader against the Mariners on Tuesday when they headed to Colorado.

The Oakland A’s schedule over the past few days has been brutal. They played the Rangers in Arlington on Sunday, only to head to Seattle for a doubleheader on Monday. Once that was concluded, they were back on the plane, headed to Colorado for a two game set against the Rockies.

One could certainly understand why the A’s were listless in the first contest, falling 3-1 Tuesday night. The A’s managed just six hits, going 0-9 with runners in scoring position on the night. They just needed some time to rest.

The grueling travel schedule was not the only reason as to why the A’s struggled Tuesday night. They were also still dealing with the effects of the doubleheader being played in the haze and smoke enveloping Seattle. Second baseman Tony Kemp said that he and other players were still feeling those effects, with the taste still in their mouths.

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It is fair to wonder if that doubleheader should have even been played. Air quality above 200 is considered unhealthy, and both games were above that mark. In fact, the air quality inside the stadium was 242 a half hour before the second game of that doubleheader concluded, but the league did nothing to protect either side.

It is also telling that Major League Baseball acted on Tuesday. The Giants were set to begin a series against the Mariners in Seattle, but the air quality was essentially unchanged. However, instead of forcing the teams to play, the game was postponed, with the series beginning in San Francisco on Wednesday.

Hopefully, the A’s will no longer feel the effects of that doubleheader on Wednesday. And they have a day off on Thursday to allow them to rest before the schedule begins once again. But the conditions of Monday’s games could have a lasting effect on the players.

That was evident during Tuesday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies. Hopefully, the Oakland A’s will not be feeling those effects for much longer.