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A's breakout in 15-1 thrashing of the Angels
By Morris Phillips July 10, 2010 |
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Scott Kazmir’s mastery of the A’s took a night off. And the A’s, who were in need of a win in the worst way, took full advantage. The 26-year old veteran was looking to beat the second time this year and the 10th time in his 6-year major league career. But Kazmir’s been struggling, and his struggles continued Saturday. Rajai Davis went 4 for 4 with a grand slam and two doubles for the A’s in a 15-1 rout of the Angels that ended a four-game Oakland slide. The A’s reversed their history against the Angels’ lefty with a season-best 8-run third inning and a 5-run fifth. While the totality of the damage inflicted by the A’s on Kazmir’s pitches had historical context, the onslaught had a rather subtle beginning. Kazmir allowed 13 runs on 11 hits, the most runs allowed by one pitcher since Jason Marquis took one for the team as a Cardinal while facing the White Sox in June 2006. Still, the whole thing started with a well-place pop up hit by Davis that landed just fair down the right field line. Davis got two bags on the pop up, then stole third and scored on Kazmir’s wild pitch. From there, Kazmir watched things go south quickly, a pattern that has defined his last four starts, all loses with at least five runs allowed in each outing. In his most recent start on Monday in Chicago, he tried to switch it up by tossing more sliders in attempt to pitch, not throw, his way through a slump that resulted in the lowest strikeout rate in his career. Still, the encouraging signs were fleeting, a couple of solid innings in between White Sox uprisings in which Kazmir surrendered three homers in a 9-2 loss to the White Sox. First Chad Pennington tripled and Coco Crisp reached on an infield chop, scoring Pennington. With one on and two out, Adam Rosales singled in a run for a 3-0 A’s lead. Kazmir intentionally walked Mark Ellis to face lefthand hitting Ryan Sweeney. But Sweeney battled Kazmir for a walk, and 4-0 A’s lead. The walk would be Kazmir’s unforgiveable mistake, as Davis, the tenth batter of the inning followed with his grand slam. After the game, manager Mike Scioscia had to be prepared to answer why he didn’t lift Kazmir after the grand slam, and he sounded rehearsed in saying that he didn’t want to burn his bullpen and preferred to see Kazmir gain some rhythm, as the former Tampa Bay pitcher remains solidly in the team’s plans despite his slump. But with the All-Star break a day away, the bullpen argument rang hollow. Some of the Angels’ beat writers felt Scioscia wanted to scold Kazmir for not pitching with more mental toughness, most notably in not forcing Sweeney’s hand by throwing strikes. As a result five more A’s scored in the fifth, as Davis doubled in a run and Crisp and Daric Barton homered back-to-back. It wasn’t until after that frame that Kazmir was lifted and the Angels made wholesale changes to rest their veterans. For one night, the punchless were the powerful as the A’s pounded three homers to increase their season total to 56, which at least temporarily lifts them past Seattle and out of last place in the majors for numbers of home runs. The A’s are still on pace to be the worst home run hitting team in their Bay Area history and the only Oakland team to hit fewer than 100 in a season. More and more it appears the beneficiary of Ben Sheets’ renaissance will be his next team, next year. The 31-year old veteran with the plus fastball, a curveball which he wields with tremendous command, along with the ability to shoulder the burden of a No. 2 or 3 starter into his 30’s will be someone else’s good fortune. Sheets went six innings to pick up the win, his first in his last 11 starts. Sheets overcame some back stiffness that developed while he warmed up, and a couple of long stints on the bench while the A’s batted around, but allowed just two hits. The A’s head into the All-Star break by throwing their All-Star, Trevor Cahill in Sunday’s series finale. The Angels will counter with Jered Weaver. |
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