Elephant Rumblings: A’s starters are on a roll

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

The A’s are 2-2 since Saturday, which wouldn’t normally be too lamentable. But considering that the team’s starting pitching allowed just two runs in total through those games, it’s a disappointment.

Through these past four games, A’s starters have combined for 27 ⅓ innings, 26 strikeouts, six bases on balls, and 13 hits allowed including two home runs. That’s good for a 0.66 ERA and 0.70 WHIP. It’s also worth noting that the bullpen held opponents scoreless in three of these games. With pitching like this, playing .500 ball isn’t up to snuff.

Osvaldo Bido got the rotation off to this hot streak on Saturday against the Giants, allowing just one hit through six scoreless innings as the A’s went on to shut out San Francisco.

On Sunday, JP Sears went 7⅔ and allowed just one run, but the A’s offense did no better through nine than the Giants’, who prevailed in extra innings.

A’s pitching apparently noted that run support was unlikely and delivered their second shutout in three days in Monday’s series opener against the Rays. It was Joe Boyle who led the charge in this contest, working six scoreless and tallying an equal number of strikeouts in the process.

The A’s got another excellent start yesterday, this time from Joey Estes, who pitched into the eighth and yielded just one run in the process. But the A’s offense was all goose eggs. So one could fairly ask: did Jose Siri really kill the A’s yesterday? Perhaps the blame is best attributed to a listless offense that has only scored seven runs so far in this homestand.

That same offense was key to the A’s terrific 15-9 record in July, so now that the A’s pitching is clicking, Oakland might finish the season very satisfactorily if the bats get going again. Maybe they should worry less about fantasy football and more about IRL baseball.

Let’s see if the rotation can go full circle with an outstanding start from Mitch Spence and his epic sweeper today.

A’s Coverage:

• Jose Siri kills A’s once again
• A’s roster moves: JT Ginn selected, Alexander to IL
• A’s top Draft pick breezing through Minors
• Butler gets best of childhood friend and old travel-ball teammate

MLB News & Interest:

• MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers, Rays rebound; Checking in on sneaky-good seasons ($)
• Mets’ Little League defense lowlights loss: ‘It’s an absolute mess!’
• Orioles To Select Cole Irvin
• The legend of Justin Verlander at Old Dominion: Vanity plates, house parties and high heat ($)
• Padres Place Ha-Seong Kim On Injured List
• Blue Jays Notes: Bassitt, Guerrero, Bichette
• Longtime Giants shortstop Crawford released by Cardinals
• Braves Sign Gio Urshela
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Joey pitched with a lot of heart yesterday.

Probably serves as a decent proxy for best Oakland A’s starters of all time.

The dingermeisters.

Special K forces.

Kurtz off to a fine start in Double-A

HBD Melissa Lockard!