Elephant Rumblings: A’s on a roll in close contests

MLB news roundup

Happy Wednesday, Athletics Nation!

Remember July 31, 2014?

I’m sorry for bringing it up, but it’s relevant to the topic at hand. That was the day that the Oakland Athletics, the only team in MLB with a winning percentage above .600 at the time, traded slugger Yoenis Cespedes for Red Sox ace Jon Lester. Much controversy ensued, and if the proof is in the pudding, well, that trade proved to be a misstep on the part of GM Billy Beane and crew.

I’ll spare most of the remaining details of that ill-fated autumn of 2014 except to say that it was an epic skid that involved a whole lot of one-run losses. 21 of the 55 games the A’s played after the trade deadline were decided by one run, and the A’s were on the winning end of those close contests on just six occasions. Ouch.

“What’s the point of revisiting the A’s Great Collapse of 2014?” you ask.

Well, the point is that losing close games proved a big difference maker that year—a few more wins and the A’s would have played their Wild Card game in Oakland. On the flip-side, the A’s recent surge towards success owes much to winning close games: the A’s have won four of their last six games, and all of those victories were secured by a single run.

Drew Davison at MLB.com correctly notes that this is hardly a fluke with Mason Miller in the bullpen. The Reaper pitched late in three of those four recent one-run wins; he is a perfect 9-for-9 in save opportunities so far this season, and that is not surprising, considering that Miller has fanned 22 batters through just 11 innings while walking just two and allowing a single homer. Mason’s ERA is 1.64 and his FIP is 0.79. These numbers could mark the beginning of a season that will stand out on the back of any closer’s baseball card—even the likes of Hall of Fame legends Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, or Mariano Rivera.

Recall that Miller was originally slated to be a starting pitcher, but fell back on relief duties due to health issues. Now he’s become so valuable in the closer role that it’s hard to imagine the A’s messing with such a good thing. Mason Miller looks like the best reliever in baseball right now. And that’s cause for confidence that the A’s can continue carrying late leads into the wins column.

Games like last night’s? Not so much.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s smacked by Rangers 15-2
• This is the key to Soderstrom’s breakout
• A’s Firmly in the AL West Picture
• A’s Infielder Luis Urias Making the Most of Playing Time

MLB News & Interest:

• Angels Designate J.D. Davis For Assignment
• 7 teams have made a big leap at certain positions
• Jesse Chavez Elects Free Agency
• MLB Power Rankings: For the first time this season, we have a new No. 1 ($)
• Rob Manfred discussed Pete Rose with Donald Trump, says he’ll make ruling on reinstatement ($)
• Defining the stabilizing Buster effect on surging Giants: ‘He isn’t going to give up on guys’ ($)
• A.J. Minter Could Require Season-Ending Surgery
• Padres To Designate Yuli Gurriel For Assignment
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

Road warrior.