A look at A’s surprising 4-3 start and why they may be better than expected
C’mon, admit it.
The Athletics are 4-3, and you’re surprised. After a crash and burn in their opener a week ago in Philadelphia, it was easy to assume their eastern swing to open the season would be a disaster.
Instead, the A’s beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 Thursday to win three of four games against a very good team that won 100 games a year ago. It’s the Rays, and not the Red Sox or Yankees, that have been the standard-bearer in the American League East since 2019.
Yet Tampa Bay was thoroughly outplayed by the A’s, given up for dead after manager Bob Melvin left for San Diego and the trades of Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt and Sean Manaea for younger prospects.
Next up is a three-game road series against Toronto and Chapman. Instead of limping in at 1-6 or 2-5, the A’s have a winning record and the jolt of confidence that goes with it.
“We’re a hot-swinging ballclub, we’re throwing the ball well out of the bullpen,” starting pitcher Cole Irvin told reporters Thursday. “Hopefully all of it stays connected and together for the next series because we’re playing some fun baseball and it’s a lot of fun to come to the ballpark every day.”
Considering the A’s actually led Tuesday night 8-7 in the 10th inning before losing in the bottom of the inning, they nearly had a rare four-game sweep.
Manager Mark Kotsay, the man who replaced Melvin, talked about “opportunity” until he was blue in the face all through spring training and although the season is still in its infancy, his players appear to be listening.
One person who isn’t surprised is Giants exec Farhan Zaidi, who had this to say last week about the team he worked for from 2011 through 2014 with then G.M. Billy Beane and David Forst.
“I don’t think there’s a front office in baseball that’s been able to reinvent their roster and put out a playoff-caliber team with cycles as short as those guys,” Zaidi said.
OK, the playoffs may be a reach and it’s conceivable the kind of success the A’s had against Tampa Bay is not sustainable in the long run. But there have been some clues that it may not be necessary to avert your eyes.
Some reasons the A’s have been better than expected through seven games:
Starting pitching
Frankie Montas, Irvin and Paul Blackburn all had quality starts against Tampa Bay, with only Adam Oller, obtained in the Bassitt deal, faltering in his big league debut. Daulton Jeffries won the final game against Philadelphia. James Kaprielian makes a rehab start in Stockton Friday and could return soon.
Montas and Irvin in particular were pace-setters, throwing strikes with good fastball command as well as secondary pitches. Irvin retired 14 in a row at one point Thursday and had a Dallas Keuchel-Mark Buehrle vibe going in terms of working quickly and relying on his defense.
Relief pitching
The veteran bullpen has given way to a unit where the only name recognition belongs to closer Lou Trivino, who has had his issues with consistency but rebounded with a save Wednesday night after faltering the previous evening.
Dany Jiménez got his first big league save Thursday and Domingo Acevedo and Zach Jackson have pitched well, along with left-handers Kirby Snead and A.J. Puk.
“We have had some good starts, and obviously our bullpen has done a great job — especially in this series,” Kotsay said. “The last two games we’ve held the lead and that’s positive sign, especially with a lot of young guys down there.”
Murphy’s ascension
Want to take a flyer on an A’s player who could be an an All-Star in 2022? Look no further than catcher Sean Murphy. He’s an excellent defender and handler of pitches, and now he’s gotten hot with the bat. Since a video of Murphy being struck in the behind went viral this week, he’s gone 5-for-15 with four extra base hits — including a three-run home run Tuesday night.
Murphy got the day off from catching Thursday but went 2-for-4 as the designated hitter as he doubled on a ball that came off his bat at 114 miles per hour.
The compliments were rolling in for Sean Murphy
https://t.co/OdTJlpjM30
— A's on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) April 13, 2022
Defense
Right fielder Billy McKinney made a sliding catch in foul territory Thursday for the first out in the eighth with Puk on the mound. Third baseman Kevin Smith turned in two gems on Wednesday. Center fielder Cristian Pache, who arrived in the Olson trade from Atlanta, looks the part of an elite defender in center field. More on him later.
It hasn’t been perfect — there were some misplays in in the extra-inning loss — but the A’s look fast and athletic defensively, capable of making exceptional plays which will help what looks to be mostly a pitch-to-contact pitching staff.
Andrus resurgence
Elvis Andrus, the 33-year-old veteran shortstop, went 2-for-4 Thursday and is hitting .308. Frankly, Andrus looked as if the game had passed him by for much of last season. In his second year replacing Marcus Semien, Andrus is a respected clubhouse leader who plays every day and is first in line for extra work.
The Pache factor
The A’s took a 3-0 lead in the second inning that was a gift of sorts in that a hard ground ball single kicked off the glove of Randy Arozarena, went to the wall and then was bobbled by Kevin Kiermeier with two runners aboard. Pache raced all the way around the bases with a single and a three-base error.
Pache, 23, has been urged by Kotsay to relax and be himself. Although considered one of the top prospects in the Atlanta organization, Pache struggled in limtied opportunities with the big club.
“I’m really happy and grateful to be playing the way I want to play,” Pache said through an interpreter. “It gives me the feeling there’s no pressure. Every player needs to feel that way. They need to be able to play the way they feel most comfortable.”
Given that Pache is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he could develop power the more he plays. Even when Ramón Laureano returns from a PED suspension during the first homestand, Laureano could find himself in right field with Pache in center if Stephen Piscotty doesn’t pick up the pace with his bat.