Elephant Rumblings: A’s starters impress in opening series

MLB news roundup

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!

The A’s opened their first season of the post-Oakland era with a 2-2 series split against Seattle at T Mobile Park. From one perspective, the story so far is that the A’s will win with reasonable offensive production: the A’s only scored one or two runs in their losses so far, while the pitchers gave their team a chance to win in all four games, though José LeClerc deserves some blame for giving up a three spot in his Opening Day appearance.

LeClerc’s struggle aside, the A’s pitching was fantastic overall, posting a combined ERA of 1.38. But most of those innings were put in by a starting rotation that was stellar in all four games, combining for just three runs allowed through 23⅔ innings.

Luis Severino impressed with a crisp and lively fastball on Opening Day as the A’s new top starter delivered everything fans could hope for, save the win for which he was blameless in not securing—you can’t allow fewer than no runs, after all.

Jeffrey Springs followed up on Friday with the A’s best start so far. Springs is much more of a finesse and breaking ball pitcher than Sevy, and his lower octane stuff may be less thrilling to the observer. But make no mistake, Springs performance was a masterclass that took the bar Severino set and raised it: consider that Jeffrey’s FIP is at 0.21 while Luis’s sits at 3.21. How serendipitous is it, then, that The Blogfather managed to have a word with Springs ahead of his stupendous debut in green and gold? Quite, I’d say!

Osvaldo Bido had the most flawed start of the weekend, but he showed the most grit as well in escaping multiple jams that allowed the A’s to hang on for a hard-fought win on Saturday.

It does seem like a bit of a snub that JP Sears currently occupies the fourth spot in the A’s rotation, but that didn’t stop him from carrying on like the workhorse we know and love. Sears put in more work than his peers before him with 6⅔ innings, notched an impressive seven strikeouts, and guess what else? Sears’s was the only walk-free start of the four. So yesterday’s loss was on the A’s bats, one hundred percent.

This is some very promising stuff all around from the A’s newly improved rotation. Just one debut remains: that of Joey Estes, who is on the mound for the A’s home opener and debut at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. Hopefully Estes is feeling confident on the heels of his rotation mates’ strong showings. Let’s go, Athletics?!

Somehow the O-word had a much nicer ring to it.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s fall short in 2-1 loss to Mariners
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Discusses “Wild Pitch Prevention” With Bullpen Catcher Marcus Jensen
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Checks In With Jeffrey Springs
• AN Exclusive: Blogfather Catches Up With Max Muncy
• Athletics Claim Angel Perdomo, Designate Esteury Ruiz For Assignment
• Sacramento-bound: A’s set for debut at new-look Sutter Health Park

MLB News & Interest:

• Blue Jays Place Max Scherzer On Injured List
• Blue Jays Designate Richard Lovelady For Assignment
• Jose Ramirez Day-To-Day After Exiting Game With Wrist Sprain
• Brian Snitker Non-Committal About Managing Beyond 2025 Season
• Shohei Ohtani Throws Bullpen Session, No Timeline Yet For Return To Pitching
• Logan Gilbert Expressing Interest In Future Extension With Mariners
• Meet the MIT physicist turned Marlins coach behind the ‘torpedo’ bats used by the Yankees ($)
• First Shohei Ohtani card to sell for $1 million includes coveted piece of his pants ($)
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Roster moves.

Sodie is poppin’ off.

But our flag was still…in The Bronx.

Oof…or should I say, Arrrr!