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A’s Jesús Luzardo rocked for two home runs in short playoff start

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A’s Jesús Luzardo rocked for two home runs in short playoff start

Jesús Luzardo’s first career Major League postseason start didn’t last long.

Luzardo struck out five through three innings but also allowed a solo home run to Adam Engel in the second inning and a two-run shot to José Abreu in the third, as the A’s fell behind the Chicago White Sox 3-0 after three innings on Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League wild card round at the Coliseum.

Both White Sox home runs came on fastballs over the heart of the plate.

In the third inning with Tim Anderson on second base with two outs, Luzardo fell behind 2-0 to Abreu. Instead of walking the American League MVP candidate with first base open, the A’s continued to pitch to him, and Luzardo’s 96 mph four-seamer was driven over the left-field wall.

Luzardo struck out James McCann to end the third, but after he allowed a double to Engel with one out in the fourth, that was it for him. A’s manager Bob Melvin brought in J.B. Wendelken in relief with one out in the fourth inning.

Luzardo threw 59 pitches, 39 for strikes. He allowed six hits in total.

Luzardo got out of a first-inning jam but ran allowed a solo home run to Engel with one out in the second. Engel’s shot. which had a 102.4 mph exit velocity, also went to left field.

Perhaps Luzardo’s struggles shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The White Sox owned left-handed pitching all year.

The White Sox had a slash line of.276/.351/.522 with an .873 OPS against lefty starters, compared to .256/.318/.432 line and .749 OPS against right-handed starters. Against all left-handed pitchers, the White Sox lead the league with a 143 wRC+ — which means they are creating runs 43 percent above league average.

This amounted to a 14-0 record against left-handed starters in 2020. Chicago boasts a bunch of powerful right-handed hitters, including Abreu and Anderson, who was just a few points shy of the batting title this year.

The White Sox finished third in the Central Division and entered the postseason as the No. 7 seed.

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) reacts to the last out of the top of the first inning against the Chicago White Sox during Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) throws against the Chicago White Sox the first inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

    OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) walks on the infield after giving up a solo home run to Chicago White Sox's Adam Engel (15) in the second inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) heads to the dugout after the final out of the top of the third inning during their game against the Chicago White Sox for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) heads to the dugout after being pulled from the game against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) throws against Chicago White Sox's Yasmani Grandal (24) in the first inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

  • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (41) is welcomed to the dugout by Oakland Athletics' Mark Kotsay (3) during their game against the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning for Game 1 of their American League wild-card playoff series at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

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Staff writer Shayna Rubin contributed to this story. 

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