Elephant Rumblings: Zack goes back to back to back

MLB news roundup

Happy Friday, Athletics Nation!

Trifecta! No, the A’s didn’t quite manage to sweep the Royals this week, but they did win their first series in nearly a month, and in the process looked like a young team primed for a refreshing turnaround.

It was Zack Gelof who had a home run trifecta, hitting home runs in all three games of the A’s - Royals series. The A’s second baseman was key to the series win, and if Zack can get this season’s struggles behind him and re-approach the success he had in 2023, it will be a huge boost for the team going forward.

Now let’s revisit this trio of dingers! The first came in the bottom of the fourth in Tuesday’s game.

The 393 foot, three-run shot put the A’s up 7-2 and gave them the insurance needed to hold on for a 7-5 win. This would ultimately make the difference between winning the series and losing it.

On Wednesday, Gelof’s launched one 434 feet in the eighth inning to put the A’s comfortably ahead by four runs and make sealing the win easy work, given that Mason Miller was available to pitch the ninth.

The A’s were behind 2-0 and struggling to get their offense going in yesterday’s loss when Gelof finally blasted his team out of the doldrums with this 422-foot, two-run homer to tie the game.

Gelof went 5-for-12 in the series, good enough to get him above the Mendoza line. He’s now slashing .202/.254/.365 on the season through 226 plate appearances. That’s a disappointment following his 2023 slash line of .267/.337/.504 through 300 PA. But Zach is trending in the right direction and if he keeps it up, the A’s should see more games dropping into the win column.

Have a wonderful weekend, AN.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s fall just short of Royals sweep
• Mock Draft roundup: Athletics strongly connected to college bats
• Haas heirs join ownership of new Oakland Ballers baseball team in link to historic A’s ($)

MLB News & Interest:

• The best moments from a historic, poignant night at Rickwood Field
• The incomparable Willie Mays: 22 numbers that highlight the greatness of No. 24 ($)
• Five years after Tyler Skaggs’ death, his loved ones’ grief remains raw ($)
• MLB Draft Combine notes: Bryce Rainer not feeling the pressure, Jack Findlay returns ($)
• Marlins To Designate Christian Bethancourt For Assignment
• Dodgers GM: Betts And Yamamoto Injuries Won’t Impact Deadline Plans
• Royals Among Teams With Interest In Tommy Pham
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

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