The Oakland A’s completed one particular of the most dreadful initial halves in their record Sunday, but the concentration right after their 2-1 decline to the Seattle Mariners was mainly on the well being of setting up pitcher Frankie Montas.
Montas, one particular of the A’s major potential trade chips, still left immediately after a person inning at T-Cell Park with tightness in his shoulder and claimed he will have an MRI right after the workforce returns to Oakland.
Usually, the game adopted a familiar script.
The A’s, with the worst offense in the majors, had 4 hits, like an Elvis Andrus household operate in the seventh inning, and went -for-4 with runners in scoring situation in opposition to Mariners ace Robbie Ray to complete a three-town road excursion with a 3-7 document.
The A’s are now 26-55, the second-worst document at the midway point in Oakland historical past, bettering only the 1979 workforce that was 23-58 at the halfway mark.
If Oakland duplicates its initial-fifty percent document in the 2nd 50 %, it’ll shed 110 online games, a whole not knowledgeable by an A’s workforce considering the fact that the 1916 Philadelphia A’s went 36-117. Oakland hosts Toronto for three game titles starting off Monday.
Continue to, of much more quick concern was the health of Montas, who threw just 13 pitches just before he still left the video game with tightness in the back again of his shoulder. 1 pitch was a 92 mph sinker that Mariners leadoff hitter Julio Rodriguez took around the still left-area wall for a 1- Seattle guide.
Montas said he did not recover very well sufficient after his six-inning outing in New York past Tuesday. With his pitch velocity significantly down Sunday, he and manager Mark Kotsay thought the best point was to exit the game and get examined.
“I never have any problem,” Montas explained. “I don’t feel it’s just about anything undesirable, just in all probability some irritation. Did not have ample time to get well (following June 28).”
Montas’ four-seam fastball that is averaged 96.2 mph this year dipped to an average of 93.8 mph Sunday. He mentioned there is no concern with his arm.
Requested about his very own stage of concern for Montas, who, ahead of Sunday, rated fifth in the American League with 95.2 innings pitched, Kotsay stated the A’s will get the shoulder appeared at “when we get back again to Oakland and then determine the proper route for him.”
Montas’ fastball bought up to 99 mph on June 23 when he no-hit the Mariners by 7.2 innings at the Coliseum. Montas pitched 8 scoreless, but the A’s permitted two runs in the ninth and shed to Seattle 2-1.
That is been the story of the period for Montas, who is now 3-9 with a 3.26 Era and 100 strikeouts. Prior to Sunday, he had gained 1 run of help or much less in every of his previous 3 commences and 10 of his final 11.
However, because of his arm, Montas’ identify has been bandied about in trade rumors, as groups appeared to fortify starting up staffs prior to the Aug. 2 deadline. Montas is below workforce control for one particular more calendar year, but a lingering harm could cool trade talks.
Reliever Austin Pruitt held the A’s in the sport. Right after he took in excess of for Montas, Pruitt retired 12 straight batters from the next to the fifth inning, collecting six strikeouts.
His only blemish was allowing an RBI double to Rodriguez in the sixth inning as the Mariners took a 2- direct.
“I realized likely into it that I was likely to have to address some innings,” Pruitt claimed. “From pitch a person, I felt rather very good. It form of brought me again to when I was a starter.”
Oakland managed just a few hits in the first 6 innings towards Ray, who concluded with 12 strikeouts. Andrus’ residence run, his fifth of the period and his fourth this 12 months at T-Mobile Park, received Ray out of the sport right after 107 pitches.
Getting into Sunday, the A’s rated very last in MLB in batting (.213), on-base proportion (.274), slugging percentage (.330), and OPS (.604).
It is going to take some get the job done for the A’s to steer clear of finishing with the worst history in Oakland background.
The 1979 crew went 31-50 in the second 50 percent and completed the period at 54-108, and it continues to be the only Oakland squad to get rid of 100 online games or a lot more in a single calendar year.
So this year’s A’s team will require 37 wins over the last 81 game titles to stay away from the century mark in losses, a difficult endeavor thinking about they have 29 video games remaining towards groups that entered Sunday in a playoff placement.
Injuries UPDATES: Kotsay stated reliever Dany Jiménez (strained proper shoulder) is functioning on strengthening the shoulder but does not have a working day as to when he’ll start to throw. Jiménez has been on the wounded record because June 19.
Kotsay reported Jonah Bride, much too, is nonetheless operating on strengthening his strained proper shoulder and there stays no timeline to start out baseball activity. Bride was placed on the IL on June 27.