Surging Athletics defy expectations to become playoff contender
Led by a stellar bullpen and solid starting rotation, the Oakland Athletics have been the best team in MLB since June 16.
The Oakland Athletics’ 6-0 win over Detroit on Sunday looked a lot like their past two months. Great starting pitching, a shutdown bullpen and strong offense. Oh, and a Khris Davis home run.
The A’s are the best team in baseball right now. They’ve won 33 of their 43 games since June 16 and hold down the second Wild Card spot in the American League. On that day, they trailed Seattle by 11 games. They now lead the Mariners by 2.5 games. All this despite having the second-lowest payroll in the league.
The heart of the team’s success has been their performance on the mound. Veteran Edwin Jackson, signed on June 6 to his Major League-record 13th different team, has a 2.87 ERA in eight starts. Sean Manaea threw a no-hitter in April and leads the team with 10 wins while pitching to a 3.38 ERA. Trevor Cahill has a 0.99 ERA at home, including six shutout innings against Detroit on Sunday. During their current six-game winning streak, which includes sweeps of both Toronto and Detroit, A’s starters have a 5-0 record with a 0.73 ERA. They have not allowed an earned run in 32 innings.
The real strength of their pitching staff, however, is in the bullpen. All-Star closer Blake Treinen has saved 28 games with a 0.95 ERA while striking out 75 batters in just 57 innings. Rookie Lou Trivino has given up just one earned run since June and has a 1.16 ERA this year. The bullpen even got stronger on Sunday when they acquired Shawn Kelley from Washington. Kelley has a 3.34 ERA for the Nationals this year, but was sent to the minors on Wednesday after throwing his glove following a bad outing against the Mets.
Cahill says it helps the starters when they know the bullpen is there to help rescue them if they get into trouble. The job of the starters, Cahill says, is just to keep the team in games and let the bullpen and offense win it for them.
“As a group, we’re not trying to be the weak link,” he said after Sunday’s win. “We know the bullpen is a strength. We know the guys can score, so it helps us out. Gives us confidence to go out there, trust our stuff. We have an offense that can pick us up if we do make a mistake. If we do get in a jam, our bullpen is really good, obviously. Those two things definitely help us out.”
Athletics pitchers have a 2.84 ERA since the All-Star break, second in the majors behind Boston in that span. Their relievers are fourth in the league with a 3.31 ERA.
The offense isn’t bad, either. They rank fourth in runs scored and third in home runs since the break. Davis has led the way recently with 10 home runs in his past 14 games. Matt Olson has added 22 homers, including one on Sunday, while Jed Lowrie is second among second baseman with 68 RBI.
“We’re on a nice roll right now,” said manager Bob Melvin on Sunday. “The more games you win, the more confidence you have. It seems to be playing out right now.”
Ramon Laureano is the perfect example of the players Oakland has relied on to win this year. He made his Major League debut on Friday and drove in the winning run with a walk-off single in the 13th inning. On Sunday he added three more hits. He also provided great defense, making several outstanding plays in center field over the weekend.
“He’s been great,” Melvin said. “The speed dynamic, too. First step in the outfield look up he’s already got a beat on it. He’s made some great plays. It’s great for him to get off to a good start, because it makes you confident at the big league level. Just another guy in our system that really has a chance to help us.”
Oakland has defied their low payroll and even lower expectations to become a contender. They just have to hope their magical ride lasts a little bit longer.