The Oakland Athletics return home this week as a beaten down clubhouse, having lost five in a row after being swept in Seattle by the Mariners.  At 12-21, the A’s find themselves at the bottom of the AL West with no end in sight, as their bullpen continues to lose winnable games.  

The A’s start the week by hosting a three game series against the Boston Red Sox, who also find themselves, surprisingly, at the bottom of their division.  Boston has lost eight of its last nine with the clubhouse holding a players only meeting this past weekend.  That’s never a good sign for this early in the season.  

Here are the expected pitching match-ups for the series - all times in PST:

  1. Monday, 5/11, 7:05pm, Rick Porcello (3-2) vs. Scott Kazmir (2-1)
  2. Tuesday, 5/12, 7:05pm, Justin Masterson (2-1) vs. Drew Pomeranz (1-3)
  3. Wednesday, 5/13, 12:35pm, Wade Miley (1-4) vs. Sonny Gray (4-0)

Predictions: Gray and Kazmir will need to continue their strong starts in order for the A’s to win this series as Pomeranz has been a huge disappointment after a strong first start of the season back on 4/10.  

After an off day on Thursday, the A’s will host the Chicago White Sox for a three game, weekend series.  Chicago comes into the week with an 12-16 record and near the bottom of the AL Central.  Despite a relatively strong offense, the White Sox are struggling this season due to the lack of starting pitching on the roster.  A’s fans will see a familiar face on the mound over the weekend, with SP Jeff Samardzija scheduled to face his old club on Sunday.  Here are the expected pitching match-ups for the weekend series:

  1. Friday, 5/15, 7:05pm, Hector Noesi (0-3) vs. Jesse Hahn (1-3)
  2. Saturday, 5/16, 6:05pm, John Danks (1-3) vs. Jesse Chavez (1-3)
  3. Sunday, 5/17, 1:05pm, Jeff Samardzija (2-2) vs. Scott Kazmir (2-1)

Predictions: This might be a good barometer for the A’s, who need Hahn and Chavez to be stronger than they have been in recent weeks.  If Oakland can’t win this series at home, it is going to be time to start considering more dramatic roster moves.  

Who’s Hot?

Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt continue to be the most reliable everyday players for Manager Bob Melvin.  Both players continue to hit over .300 on the season.  SP Sonny Gray remains undefeated, with the A’s bullpen costing him the win in Seattle.  

Who’s Not?

OF Mark Canha has struggled at the plate over the past week.  His two hits in twenty at bats this past week were home runs, so he is making them count if nothing else.  

SP’s Drew Pomeranz and Jesse Hahn likely wouldn’t be in the rotation if the A’s weren’t dealing with a number of injuries.  Both have pitched poorly in recent outings.  Stop the presses … but the A’s bullpen remains atrocious.  SOS signals are coming from Billy Beane’s office.  

A’s Roster Movement

The A’s cleared OF Coco Crisp and he returned to the lineup this past week.  Somewhat surprisingly, in order to make room for him on the roster, Craig Gentry was optioned to the minors.  

Beyond that, the tinkering continues for the A’s front office, who couldn’t find replacements in the offseason and are now shuffling the deck week to week for their pitching staff.  RP Chad Smith was first optioned to the minors and then traded to the Dodgers for cash.  The A’s called up RP’s Fernando Rodriguez and Angel Castro, while also sending RJ Alvarez back to the minors.  OF Alex Hassan was designated to the minors to make room on the roster.  

The A’s also acquired RP Edward Mujica from the Red Sox this week. 

In terrible news, SP Jarrod Parker broke a bone in his elbow during a recovery start in the minors this week.  Parker had his second Tommy John surgery over a year ago and was looking to make it back to the majors at some point this season.  

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About the author
John Flesta
Displaced Oakland A's, Seattle Seahawks, and Minnesota Timberwolves fan in New Jersey.