The A’s largely shut the Angels down during this season’s opening series, but they had a tougher time with the visiting Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
The N.L. West club put up a ton of runs against the A’s pitching staff, and the Green and Gold offense left too many runners on to remain competitive in an 8-3 loss in the first of a two-game series at Oakland Coliseum.
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The A’s have to forget about this one quickly, considering they have a day game Wednesday they’ll want to win to head into an off day on a high note.
Here are three takeaways from the A’s second loss of the season.
Angels series had impact on loss to Rockies
The A’s had every reason to feel good about their performance beating the L.A. Angels three times in four games. They got tons of clutch hitting, quality defense and excellent work from the bullpen.
Oakland Athletics
Those wins came at a cost to the relief corps. Jake Diekman, T.J. McFarland, Yusmeiro Petit and Joakim Soria threw three times in the first four games, with Burch Smith and Liam Hendriks going twice. That limited Bob Melvin’s bullpen options and might’ve given a longer rope to some who might’ve gotten the hook earlier.
The A’s could’ve used a big night at the plate but didn’t get one from a stacked lineup that ultimately left nine runners on base.
This could end up as a blip on the radar of a solid start to the season. There’s zero indication that this could be part of a troubling trend, not with an offense this loaded and a staff this deep.
Splitting or winning series remains the ultimate objective, and the A’s have a chance to do that against Colorado with ace Frankie Montas starting on Wednesday afternoon in the final game of a six-game homestand.
A’s DH not hitting
The A’s designated hitter slot hasn’t gotten a hit through five games. That’s, well, not good.
Those issues mostly fall at Khris Davis’ feet. The prolific power hitter has started the season ice cold in the early going, and while it isn’t a cause for pure panic, the A’s need more from someone they’re counting on to provide pop in the lineup.
That hasn’t happened yet.
Davis had his latest in a series of rough nights at the office against the Rockies, struggling to find his offensive prowess early in this shortened season. He remains hitless through 15 at-bats, including several opportunities to put runs on the scoreboard Tuesday night. He left five on base in his first two at-bats and then grounded into a double play with a runner in scoring position in his third. Then he struck out in the eighth with two on.
He ultimately went 0-for-4 on Tuesday night, despite having at least one runner in scoring position every time he stepped to the plate.
He has hit some balls hard but right at a defender or dying at the warning track. Going this long without a base hit is not ideal, though Davis can get red hot and go on a tear that carries a ballclub.
The A’s DH didn't even get a hit when Davis got the day off. Vimael Machin went 0-for-3 on Sunday in Davis’ stead.
A’s bullpen doesn’t get a true breather
Daniel Mengden’s start on Tuesday night against Colorado completed one turn through the A’s rotation. None of its five members completed five innings. The Green and Gold needed that from Mengden to spell a taxed bullpen that had been effective but overworked through four games.
The right-hander threw 85 pitches, a count that would suggest that he took the A’s through the halfway point. Inefficiency didn’t let that happen.
Mengden had runners on in every inning, and while he battled well through adverse situations, he couldn’t make the fifth. He allowed three runs through four innings, and he seemed to be laboring a bit near the end of his outing. He struggled against the left-handers that stocked the Rockies lineup and left the A’s with a deficit heading into the fifth.
While going four instead of five doesn’t look like a big deal, it might have kept another reliever out of the game or shortened an outing.
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Relievers getting a night off when they were available should buy Jordan Weems a beer. The fireballer made his major-league debut and did his part, getting through three innings while allowing two runs.
While Weems’ work helped, the A’s need a prolonged outing Wednesday afternoon from Montas, who is stretched out more than any other starting pitcher. Melvin hopes he can get through six innings. He might be able to pitch into the 90s and, if he’s effective, he could put the A’s in position to win the game before giving way to late-inning relievers. That would help a 10-man bullpen that sorely needs a breather heading into Thursday's off day.