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OAKLAND — It was all hands on deck for the A’s pitching staff, and it got the job done.
After losing starters Andrew Triggs and Brett Anderson to injuries over the weekend, the A’s designated Thursday’s game against the Mariners as a bullpen game. Josh Lucas got the ball first, and the baton was then passed four more times amongst A’s relievers in a 4-3 victory over the Mariners to avoid a sweep in front of 12,633 fans at the Coliseum.
Lucas, who was on a limit of 50 pitches, allowed two runs in two innings of work before handing the ball to manager Bob Melvin. Chris Hatcher, Yusmeiro Petit, Lou Trivino, and Blake Treinen followed Lucas, and though not a single pitcher threw a clean inning, they all managed to get out of trouble as they combined to allow just one run on seven hits with one walk over seven innings of work.
Basically putting together bullpen games without planning it twice last week due to the early exits of Triggs and Anderson, the A’s bullpen has become used to this type of scenario.
“We’ve had to do this a few times. We’ve had some practice at it,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said, referring to the two. “It’s one thing trying to cover a day, but you’ve got to have an eye for tomorrow and the next day and the next day. We don’t have an off-day for a while. So using guys multiple innings was key for us today.”
Petit earned the win, and his scoreless three innings particularly stood out for Melvin. Taking over in to begin the fifth for the A’s (26-24) after two scoreless innings by Hatcher, Petit kept his pitch count low at just 31 pitches over the three innings to serve as the bridge to Trivino and Treinen.
Despite missing six days on the bereavement list last month, Petit’s 32 innings pitched are the most in the league by a reliever. But with the rest of the bullpen also overworked lately, Petit said he has no room to complain.
“We have a great bullpen. We haven’t had much of a chance to rest lately, but this bullpen is a lot different from years past here,” Petit said. “This is what the team wanted. This has been a tough month for us physically, but now the really tough part is coming. The mental part. But we have to keep working physically as well to last the whole season. It’s six months, not two months. We have to keep fighting. The season is only getting started.”
The A’s were outhit by the Mariners 10-5, but five timely double plays turned by Oakland’s defense prevented any big damage over several innings in which the Mariners were threatening to score.
Blake Treinen took over with runners on first and third with two outs in the eighth. Though he allowed a run to bring Seattle (29-20) within one, Treinen held on for his 11th save of the season. It was his sixth save this season in which he’s recorded four outs or more.
The A’s did all their damage on offense in the first inning.
Facing Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, Jed Lowrie’s sacrifice fly brought home Matt Joyce for their first run, Stephen Piscotty delivered the big blow a couple of batters later with a two-run double off the wall in left field. Piscotty scored almost immediately after on a single to left by Dustin Fowler.
The final three runs came with two outs, and proved to be key, with Hernandez soon settling in to retire 16 of the final 17 batters he faced before departing after six innings.
“I think the most important thing was the four runs we scored in the first,” Petit said. “Being able to hold the lead the rest of the way was going to be the battle. Getting those four runs in the first, we knew we had a good chance to win. (Seattle) had a good battery out there today facing us, so we knew we had to do our jobs and do the little things to win the game.”
INJURY UPDATES
Paul Blackburn has made significant progress from his right forearm injury. After throwing 45 pitches in extended spring training Monday, Blackburn will throw another three innings Saturday in Arizona. If all goes well, the next step would be to go on a rehab assignment with one of the A’s minor league affiliates.
The right-hander is currently on the 60-day disabled list, eligible to come off May 28.
Ryan Buchter continued playing catch from 75 feet Thursday as he works back from a left shoulder strain that has kept him out of action since April 25. Melvin was unsure of when the left-hander would begin throwing on flat ground, saying the club is taking more of a day-by-day approach depending on how Buchter is feeling.
