Without a time limit, baseball games can range in length from close to two hours to as long as five or six if a game goes deep into extra innings.
Something that can make these games feel longer, especially with today’s high-octane offenses across MLB, is a team that can’t manage to put a single run on the scoreboard.
It happens with regularity in baseball, as many teams have a hard time manufacturing runs without the long ball. One team that has gone almost the entire season without being shut out is the Oakland A’s.
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SIGN UP HERE Oakland’s offense has been among the best in the majors in 2019. The A’s rank sixth in the MLB in home runs (215) this season entering Tuesday, despite having one of the least power-friendly ballparks in the league.
Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien have had phenomenal seasons for Oakland, each ranking in the top 10 in Wins Above Replacement for position players in MLB. Matt Olson, who missed over 30 games to start the season, is seventh in the AL with 13.8 at-bats per home run.
The team hasn’t just been carried by a few stars either, as the A’s have had 10 hitters reach at least 10 home runs, which is the best in MLB behind the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers, who each have 11.
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The last time the A’s were shut out was on May 9, in a home game against the Cincinnati Reds. Curiously, Tanner Roark was the starter that day for the Reds, 83 days before he was subsequently dealt to Oakland in an MLB trade deadline deal for prospect Jameson Hannah.
[RELATED: A's hope prospect Sheldon Neuse can relax after first MLB hit]
With the team currently sitting a game behind the Cleveland Indians for the second wild-card spot, Oakland can't afford to let off the gas pedal.
The A's will have a pair of home games against the Los Angeles Angels before they can reach 100 consecutive games without a shutout.