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"Catfish" Cahill shuts down the Pirates
By Morris Phillips June 26, 2010 |
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With the A’s playing winning baseball on 70’s night at the ballpark, how well does this cross-generational reference work? The A’s shut down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-0, behind the dominating pitching of Trevor “Catfish” Cahill. Yeah, it sounds just as good as Cahill possibly being selected as the A’s representative at the All-Star game on July 13. Just like “Catfish” Hunter, “Catfish” Cahill has assumed the role of a No. 1 starter and run with it. The 22-year old righty has followed his outstanding May (4-1, 1.96ERA) with an equally impressive June (3-0, 3.33) and he ranks among the top ten American League pitchers in winning percentage and earned run average. Not bad for a guy who started the season on the disabled list and allowed three homers and eight runs in his first start of the season on April 30. Cahill stymied the Pirates with command of all of his pitches: a fastball with movement, a reliable curve, occasional changeup and a devastating sinker that finished off several Pittsburgh hitters as Cahill tallied a career-high 10 strikeouts. “If he got behind in the count, it seemed like he could change the grip on his fastball and throw strikes whenever he wanted to. And that’s a good sign, manager Bob Geren said of Cahill. Cahill has become consistently effective, something few would have expected coming off his impressive, but in many ways, underwhelming, rookie campaign. While Cahill took the ball every fifth day in 2009, and won 10 games, he surrendered 72 walks, 27 homers and struck out just 90 batters in 178 innings of work. As a result, his 13 losses, sullen body language and inability to pitch out of jams stood out more than his 10 wins. But the 2010 Cahill is much improved in all three trouble spots. The right hander has allowed just two home runs, both to Matt Holliday last Sunday, in his last six starts, while piling up the strikeouts for the first time in his career. In his five June starts, Cahill has struck out 30 batters, and at least four in every start. For the struggling Pirates-- an opponent sent from interleague heaven for the backsliding A’s (36-40)--Cahill’s transformation led to a very predictably long evening. Pittsburgh has lost 23 of 28, including 12 in a row earlier this month, and they needed not only their black throwback uniforms, but Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and Manny Sanguillen in them to compete with the A’s. Amazingly, the Pirates have never beaten Oakland in the interleague era, falling to 0-8 on Saturday. Pittsburgh already has been swept by the White Sox, Tigers and Rangers in what could be called their gift-wrapped contribution to the AL pennant race. Pirates’ starter Daniel McCutchen , called up from Triple A Indianapolis to face the A’s, wasn’t bad compared to starts earlier this year in which Pittsburgh lost 20-0 to Milwaukee and 15-6 to Arizona, but he wasn’t near good enough to match Cahill. McCutchen surrendered a pair of run-scoring doubles to Daric Barton in the first three innings and a solo shot to Kurt Suzuki in the fifth. Barton struck again in the seventh, driving in Coco Crisp with a double off reliever Justin Thomas. Crisp had two hits and a walk and scored three times, and Jack Cust had a hit a walk and scored a run also. Coming off Friday’s 14-run explosion the A’s offense kept clicking even as Kevin Kouzmanoff finished 0 for 4. The A’s will look to sweep on Sunday behind Gio Gonzalez (6-5, 3.89). Gonzalez will be opposed by Pittsburgh’s Ross Ohlendorf. PATTERSON MOVED: Eric Patterson, who lost his roster spot when Conor Jackson was acquired from Arizona and Coco Crisp was reactivated, was traded to Boston on Saturday. Patterson, the utility guy who showed some surprising power, hit just .204 in 45 games with Oakland. The A’s received minor league pitcher Fabian Williamson in the deal. Williamson was 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA at Class A Salem. |
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