Athletics

Gelof smacked an RBI triple in the fifth inning that increased the A’s lead to 9-1. He then added the exclamation point to the blowout with a 389-foot (101.8 mph EV) two-run blast after a nine-pitch battle with Chase Shugart in the seventh. The dynamic 26-year-old has looked at least capable since returning from Triple-A, slashing .269/.309/.519 with three homers and 10 RBI.

Rooker tagged rookie right-hander Andrew Painter for a 384-foot (100.2 mph EV) two-run shot in the top half of the first inning — his squad’s second two-run homer in the frame. He also added a run-scoring single in the fourth that increased the A’s advantage to 8-0. He’s off to a painfully slow start at the plate this season, slashing a woeful .177/.256/.342 with four homers and 15 RBI, so hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

As so often happens, Langeliers flexed his dad strength in his first at-bat back from the paternity list, launching an 0-2 fastball from Andrew Painter for a 412-foot (108.4 mph EV) two-run shot in the opening inning, giving the A’s a lead they would never relinquish. He also singled in the fourth inning and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Brent Rooker. With his two-hit effort, the 28-year-old backstop is slashing an impressive .338/.391/.640 with 11 homers and 20 RBI.

Ginn allowed just three hits on the night while issuing only one base on balls. The only blemish on his day came on a solo home run off the bat of Kyle Schwarber in the fourth inning. Aside from that one pitch, he was brilliant. Ginn generated 10 swings and misses on 96 offerings in the contest, posting a CSW of 29 percent. He now holds a 3.62 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 31/15 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings through his first nine appearances (six starts). He’ll try to keep the good times rolling when he squares off against the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Gelof has mostly played against lefties since getting called up, but this is his second straight start against a righty. Hernaiz had started nine straight games prior to yesterday. Sporting both the best strikeout rate and bat speed of his career, Gelof is batting .255/.300/.426 through 52 plate appearances. If he reemerges as a regular and gets back to stealing bases, there’s a chance he could offer some mixed-league value in a fantastic situation for hitters in Sacramento.

Langeliers is back after three days away for the birth of his child. He’s catching and batting second tonight against the Phillies.

Wynns had to know he was losing his spot when the A’s acquired Jonah Heim, but he stuck around for a few extra days with Shea Langeliers going on the paternity list. Now that Langeliers is back, Wynns is gone. The 35-year-old was off to a 3-for-39 start at the plate this year, giving him a .077/.143/.077 line.

Bolte is hitting .295/.376/.518 with eight home runs, 35 runs scored, and 15 steals in 33 games at Triple-A. Last season, he hit nine home runs in 114 games while stealing 44 bases. Some of that power boost could be the hitter-friendly environment in Las Vegas, but the Athletics also play their home games in a minor league stadium. Given that Bolte has experience at all outfield positions, you have to wonder when the Athletics may give him a chance at the big league level.

Springs struck out four and walked none before leaving with a one-run lead, which was later blown. Springs left his last start with hip soreness, but he definitely seemed healthy tonight and was actually throwing a little harder than usual. He’ll bring a 3-2 record and a 3.89 ERA into his start against the Cardinals on Tuesday. He’s also due to face the Giants in a two-start week, making him an intriguing streaming option.

Perkins actually came in for the seventh with a 3-2 lead tonight. He got through that without incident, but he retired just one of the five batters he faced in the eighth, with a Jeff McNeil error on a possible double-play ball damaging the cause. He was pulled with the A’s down 4-3, and the Phillies got two more runs after he left. It’s possible Perkins would have been left in to try for the three-inning save if the eighth had gone better; he’s pitched 2 1/3 innings twice this season, and he was working on five days of rest. He’s still probably the favorite for saves on the A’s for the moment.