The Oakland Athletics have the next two days off before heading to Seattle to start a ten-game road trip on Friday. After the Mariners, they will take on the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals.
But, let’s revisit this past week for the A’s, shall we? Currently at 18-21, they remain in third place in the AL West. They’re still in distance of the division title (yes, I’m saying it), four games back of the leading Texas Rangers.
Speaking of Texas, it was a rough series. Oakland dropped the first two games, including a 15-8 loss on Tuesday. But, they salvaged a game in the doubleheader on Wednesday, winning that one 9-4 behind the bat of Brent Rooker.
They almost came back against the Rangers in the second game of the doubleheader. Down 12-7 heading into the ninth inning, Oakland plated four runs against Texas’s bullpen. With the score at 12-11, Tyler Nevin came to the plate with two man aboard and two outs. Unfortunately, he would fly out on a 1-1 pitch by Kirby Yates that sealed the deal for the defending champions.
In terms of the past week, however, Oakland has nothing to be ashamed of. Since last Wedneday, they are 4-4, including a 20-4 win against the Miami Marlins on May 4th. The bats were on fire that day, giving Paul Blackburn one of the easiest starts of his career.
2️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/KQZyMWklTm
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) May 5, 2024
That win was their sixth win in a row, a streak that ended in the series finale the next day. Regardless, we can’t diminish their accomplishments. They swept the Pittsburgh Pirates to start the homestand, took two of three from Miami, and were competitive against the Rangers.
Ending the homestand 6-4, the A’s have plenty to be happy about. This road trip will be big for them if they want to keep within pace of the division.
Players That Have Impressed
Brent Rooker is one notable player who has been on a hot streak as of late. Since the beginning of May, he’s batting .462 with four home runs and 11 RBIs. With a notable 3-4 performance against the Rangers in the first game of the doubleheader, it’s safe to say he’s finding his power stroke again that made him an All-Star last year. His performance this past week actually earned him AL Player of the Week.
Brent Rooker over his last 6 games:
— Kirk Snyder (@dynastyinfo411) May 8, 2024
.476 AVG
4 HR
11 RBI
9 Runspic.twitter.com/eKcfqMmgLm
Shea Langeliers has been hot himself, specifically against the Rangers. After his game against the division rival on April 9th (three home runs), he continued to be a thorn in their side. In the doubleheader, he had eight RBIs, with home runs in each of the games. Batting .333 in the month of May, he’s starting to heat up too.
Shea Langeliers' 3 ABs today: home run, double, triple.
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024
He is a single shy of the cycle! pic.twitter.com/KKMwSus2rl
Though he hasn’t a save since April 30th, Mason Miller continues to be dominant for the Oakland Athletics. He has lowered his ERA to 1.10, and doesn’t look like he will be slowing down any time soon.
Starting pitcher JP Sears continues to be solid for the Athletics. After throwing 6 1/3 innings of ball against the Marlins on May 3rd (no runs allowed), he got his third win of the season against the Rangers on Wednesday.
The Oakland Athletics, despite being one of the worst teams hitting-wise (.221 batting average) continue to know how to mash. Their 51 home runs as a team? Good for third-best in the majors. Take that for data.
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Featured Image: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
