Top five takeaways from A's opening homestand

The A's wrapped up their season-opening homestand with a disappointing 3-5 record. Here are our top five takeaways, both positive and negative.

1) Manaea's hot start

We'll start with the good, and LHP Sean Manaea has certainly been that, if not great. The 26-year-old has pitched deep into both of his starts, allowing just two earned runs in 15 2/3 innings for a miniscule ERA of 1.15.

Manaea has also notched 11 strikeouts, while issuing just one walk (that's an 11 to 1 ratio for my fellow non-math majors), holding opponents to a .137 batting average. Unfortunately, all he has to show for those impressive numbers is a 1-1 record.

Nonetheless, Manaea has stepped up as the ace of the A's rotation, something they desperately needed.

2) Graveman's home run troubles

On the flip side, Opening Day starter Kendall Graveman has had a rough go of it early on. The 27-year-old right-hander has allowed nine earned runs in his first 10 innings, translating to an 8.10 ERA.

Graveman has been done in by the long ball, allowing four home runs in those 10 innings of work. That's obviously not a good sign for any pitcher, but it's especially troubling for Graveman, who relies heavily on his sinker.

So far, he hasn't been fooling anyone at the plate, recording just two strikeouts through his first two starts.

3) Chapman thriving with the bat and glove

Matt Chapman has started the season hotter than Fresno in August. Last season, we got a taste of Chapman's slick glove and rocket arm at third base, and he has picked up where he left off, making highlight reel plays in just about every game (his Opening Day tarp catch might already be the catch of the year).

The talented 24-year-old has also been the A's best hitter, leading the team with 12 hits, two home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored. Chapman's .400 batting average also leads the club, as does his .455 on-base percentage and .633 slugging percentage. He has recorded a hit in seven straight games, and has multiple hits in his last four contests.

Once Khris Davis and Matt Olson really get going, the middle of the A's lineup could wreak serious havoc on opposing pitching staffs.

4) Do not run on Jonathan Lucroy

Recently acquired A's catcher Jonathan Lucroy apparently has a cannon attached to his right shoulder. Lucroy threw out three Texas Rangers attempting to steal Tuesday night, including two in the same inning. On Thursday, he nabbed two more would-be base stealers.

Lucroy leads all of Major League Baseball with those five runners caught stealing in seven attempts. That added defense behind the plate has been huge for Oakland's young pitching staff, and it will likely deter future base stealers.

Lucroy has also been solid at the plate, batting .273, with a .333 on-base percentage.

5) Early deficits tough to overcome

This last one includes both positive and negative elements. The good news is that the A's have shown the ability to rally back from several runs down. The bad news is they are giving themselves way too many comeback opportunities.

Oakland has allowed the first run in six of its eight games, digging holes of 7-0, 4-0, 4-0, and 3-0. It doesn't take a baseball expert to recognize that is not a recipe for success.

The A's certainly deserve credit for rallying back from 4-0 to win on Opening Day, and for coming close on a few other occasions, but they are just 1-5 when allowing the first run. They will need to get off to much better starts moving forward.