Oller continues strong stretch with best start of career

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In a previous season, if the Athletics were in contention for an American League playoff spot, a player like Adam Oller might not get a chance to pitch in the big leagues.

But with the A's in rebuild mode, Oller has been on the MLB roster for most of the 2022 season. The results haven't always been pretty for Oller, but he has put in the work, and it appears to be paying off.

In the A's 3-2 walk-off win over the vaunted New York Yankees on Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum, Oller pitched the best game of his young MLB career, tossing eight shutout innings. He got a no-decision as the A's needed extra innings to beat the Yankees. But that doesn't diminish what the 27-year-old was able to do.

Oller allowed just one hit, walked one Yankees batter and struck out three.

"I think you saw the confidence grow throughout the game with his fastball," A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters after the game. "His four-seam fastball, his cutter kept them off balance. He attacked the zone. For me, the one walk says it all, and that was one walk with eight innings of work. There's no question that was his best outing of the year."

Ever since Oller's ERA was 12.27 on May 14, that number has dropped with every outing. Following his start against the Yankees, Oller's ERA is down to 5.66.

In August alone, Oller's ERA is 3.03 in 29 2/3 innings, causing his overall season ERA to drop by nearly two full runs.

"Felt that was the best I've been as far as the mechanics we've talked about in the past, staying closed, staying through the mound," Oller told reporters after the game.

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With the A's at 47-81, Oller is getting the chance to learn, adjust and improve on the fly. And while he wasn't the main piece acquired from the New York Mets in the Chris Bassitt trade -- prospect J.T. Ginn was -- Oller is showing that he will be a key cog in Oakland's rotation next season.

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