Elephant Rumblings: The nightmare ends

MLB news roundup

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation! I hope you are having a safe holiday.

It may prove to have completely derailed this season’s hopes, but at least we can now say that the A’s epic 11-game skid is over. It began in Los Angeles on May 14 and lasted through all but the first game of the team’s last road trip and all but the last of the home stand that just ended yesterday with a hard-fought victory over the Phillies and former future Athletics ace Jesus Luzardo.

Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief, shall we?

Today the A’s have a much-needed day off to assess the extensive damage they have sustained. Closer Mason Miller went over two weeks without a save, or even a full scoreless inning; his ERA now sits at an eye-popping 5.79. It is worth noting, however, that his fielding-adjusted numbers (3.08 FIP, 2.14 xFIP) suggest The Reaper suffered his share of bad luck as opposed to having lost his edge entirely. The triple digit heat an K-factor are still there in spades.

Of course, winning is all that really matters, and losing 11 straight has taken the A’s from near the top of the standings to seven games back of the AL West-leading Mariners and three behind the fourth place Angels. The A’s barely managed to avoid losing all seven games of this latest home stand, but it leaves them with a 9-19 home record that worsts only the historically abysmal Rockies’ record at Coors Field.

The best course of action at this point is to move on, one game at a time. The A’s were nearly swept by the Phillies, but all three games were closely contested and Philadelphia is no pushover—they have the best record in MLB right now. Hopefully that gives our young Athletics a little confidence bump as they hit the road again to take on the Astros.

Have a terrific week, AN.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s defeat Phillies 5-4, are back in the win column
• What To Expect From Denzel Clarke
• A’s drop 11th straight in 9-6 contest to Phillies
• Athletics drop Tenth Straight game, 4-3 to Philadelphia
• A’s roster moves: Major Shakeup as Clarke, Davidson, Others Promoted
• A’s No. 4 prospect Morales trusts ‘process’ in no-hit debut at Triple-A
• No. 23 prospect Milone delivers another career day at Double-A
• Latest Athletics injuries and transactions

MLB News & Interest:

• Pirates’ Oneil Cruz blasts home run, records hardest hit ball in Statcast era ($)
• Shohei Ohtani touches 97 mph throwing batting practice, homers in first at-bat ($)
• Rangers Designate Kevin Pillar For Assignment
• NL East Notes: Montas, Blackburn, Manaea, Nola, Finnegan
• Rangers Reportedly Considering Kumar Rocker For Closer Role
• AL West Notes: Trout, Soler, Seager, Gilbert, Miller
• Dodgers Notes: Sasaki, Glasnow, Phillips
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

Kurtz day-to-day.

So many debuts lately—Willie knocked in a difference-making run AND game ending putout assist in his.

Two first knocks in one game.

Sometimes I think there should be a way to toss the umpire.