The Oakland A’s completed probably the most dreadful first halves of their historical past Sunday, however the focus after their 2-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners was largely on the well being of beginning pitcher Frankie Montas.
Montas, one of many A’s greatest potential commerce chips, left after one inning at T-Cell Park with tightness in his shoulder and mentioned he can have an MRI after the staff returns to Oakland.
In any other case, the sport adopted a well-known script.
The A’s, with the worst offense within the majors, had 4 hits, together with an Elvis Andrus house run within the seventh inning, and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring place in opposition to Mariners ace Robbie Ray to complete a three-city highway journey with a 3-7 file.
The A’s are actually 26-55, the second-worst file on the halfway level in Oakland historical past, bettering solely the 1979 staff that was 23-58 on the midway mark.
If Oakland duplicates its first-half file within the second half, it’ll lose 110 video games, a complete not skilled by an A’s staff because the 1916 Philadelphia A’s went 36-117. Oakland hosts Toronto for 3 video games beginning Monday.
Nonetheless, of extra fast concern was the well being of Montas, who threw simply 13 pitches earlier than he left the sport with tightness behind his shoulder. One pitch was a 92 mph sinker that Mariners leadoff hitter Julio Rodriguez took over the left-field wall for a 1-0 Seattle lead.
Montas mentioned he didn’t recuperate properly sufficient after his six-inning outing in New York final Tuesday. Together with his pitch velocity noticeably down Sunday, he and supervisor Mark Kotsay believed the most effective factor was to exit the sport and get examined.
“I don’t have any concern,” Montas mentioned. “I don’t suppose it’s something unhealthy, simply in all probability some irritation. Didn’t have sufficient time to recuperate (after June 28).”
Montas’ four-seam fastball that’s averaged 96.2 mph this season dipped to a mean of 93.8 mph Sunday. He mentioned there’s no situation together with his arm.
Requested about his personal stage of concern for Montas, who, earlier than Sunday, ranked fifth within the American League with 95.2 innings pitched, Kotsay mentioned the A’s will get the shoulder checked out “after we get again to Oakland after which decide the proper route for him.”
Montas’ fastball acquired as much as 99 mph on June 23 when he no-hit the Mariners by means of 7.2 innings on the Coliseum. Montas pitched eight scoreless, however the A’s allowed two runs within the ninth and misplaced to Seattle 2-1.
That’s been the story of the season for Montas, who's now 3-9 with a 3.26 ERA and 100 strikeouts. Previous to Sunday, he had acquired one run of assist or fewer in every of his final three begins and 10 of his final 11.
However, due to his arm, Montas’ title has been bandied about in commerce rumors, as groups seemed to fortify beginning staffs earlier than the Aug. 2 deadline. Montas is beneath staff management for yet one more 12 months, however a lingering damage might cool commerce talks.
Reliever Austin Pruitt stored the A’s within the recreation. After he took over for Montas, Pruitt retired 12 straight batters from the second to the fifth inning, amassing six strikeouts.
His solely blemish was permitting an RBI double to Rodriguez within the sixth inning because the Mariners took a 2-0 lead.
“I knew going into it that I used to be going to must cowl some innings,” Pruitt mentioned. “From pitch one, I felt fairly good. It sort of introduced me again to after I was a starter.”
Oakland managed simply three hits within the first six innings in opposition to Ray, who completed with 12 strikeouts. Andrus’ house run, his fifth of the season and his fourth this 12 months at T-Cell Park, acquired Ray out of the sport after 107 pitches.
Coming into Sunday, the A’s ranked final in MLB in batting (.213), on-base share (.274), slugging share (.330), and OPS (.604).
It’s going to take some work for the A’s to keep away from ending with the worst file in Oakland historical past.
The 1979 staff went 31-50 within the second half and completed the season at 54-108, and it stays the one Oakland squad to lose 100 video games or extra in a single 12 months.
So this 12 months’s A’s staff will want 37 wins over the ultimate 81 video games to keep away from the century mark in losses, a tough job contemplating they've 29 video games left in opposition to groups that entered Sunday in a playoff place.
INJURY UPDATES: Kotsay mentioned reliever Dany Jiménez (strained proper shoulder) is engaged on strengthening the shoulder however doesn't have a day as to when he’ll begin to throw. Jiménez has been on the injured checklist since June 19.
Kotsay mentioned Jonah Bride, too, remains to be engaged on strengthening his strained proper shoulder and there stays no timeline to start out baseball exercise. Bride was positioned on the IL on June 27.