Oakland A’s programming is getting so hot that even Lance Lynn I can’t stop them anymore.
The A’s were eliminated by Lynn and White Sox in a Cactus League game a few weeks ago, but Oakland won in an exhibition rematch on Wednesday. The result was a 14-4 break that featured four green and gold homers, three of the races and two of the dingers coming out of Lynn in five innings.
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The A’s started their score on the 2nd inning, in a catcher’s solo shot Sean Murphy. It was the second of the spring after starting late due to a lung collapse.
Two left field candidates joined for the next race in the third entry. Seth Brown doubled, and Ka’ai Tom chose it.
In the 4th, non-member guest Frank Schwindel his second spring homer blew up.
On the 6th, Lynn was replaced by a minor league on the right Will Carter, and A’s opened the game. Murphy struck again with a double RBI, and Stephen Piscotty he hit his first spring dinger in his second game back from a sore left wrist.
Brown homered a few moments later, for the second day in a row, and then the game jumped from the shark. Carter took two strides and was replaced, and the new hitter took three more strokes to force a couple of runs. There is no more mercy rule to get out of a traffic jam!
But wait, there’s more! Even at the time of the garbage at the end of the shift, the prospects continued to accumulate on the scoreboard. In 8th, outfielder Cody Thomas doubled in a run. On the 9th, shortstop Nick Allen doubled in two more, so Skye Bolt drove on another with a sack fly, and a plated bug more.
In the end, Oakland managed 14 races without playing Chapman, Olson, Pinder, Canha or Moreland. Compassion.
Statistics that don’t count
The spring statistics are unreliable, but let’s look at some of them anyway.
- Murphy has two homers, two doubles and two walks in 17 plate appearances (1,153 OPS)
- Tom is now 9 to 20 (.450) this spring, plus a few hikes and a little extra base strength, and he has driven in six races in seven games. He too impressed insider Martin Gallegos with his arm.
- Brown makes 6 for the last 15 with three homers
- (Nick) Allen is 6-in-the-last-14 with three doubles, a walk and just one elimination
- Schwindel is 7 for the last 20 with as many homers (2) as eliminations
I mean, it’s not bad that they are doing well this month.
Manaea still hissing
Three begins, and the new Higher Octane Manaea is still one thing. Sean Manaea worked until the 6th entry, and was still registering 94 mph in the final frame, by Rickey Blog.
Manaea: 5⅓ ip, 2 runs (1 win), 3 Ks, 2 BB, 5 hits
Also noteworthy about the pitching team was Burch Smith, who is still in contention for one of the bullpen’s end points. Smith allowed two runs in a pair of doubles and a single.
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The A’s are having this kind of good problem right now, where all the candidates in every position battle are losing their minds. How do you choose between the hitter that is hitting 0.450 and the one that is now hitting every day? Or among several pitchers who just don’t give up on any run? Even Smith, despite his high ERA, has six Ks for a walk.
There are five more spring training games, and then the real ones start next Thursday and all those dingers start counting!