Why fans should not panic over Oakland A’s ’embarrassing’ start to 2021 season
The Oakland A’s are embarrassed. And they have every right to be.
The defending American League West champions never held a single lead as they were swept in four games by their division-rival Houston Astros. The A’s are playing ugly baseball right now, and it’s led to their first 0-4 start in 34 years.
No team in their right minds would hit the panic button after four games, but the A’s will have to play the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers with some pronounced urgency as they try to, at least, get off the schneid.
Mark Canha said the team’s attitude hasn’t wavered: “Everyone in the clubhouse is steady Eddie.”
There is inspiration for a quick turnaround. Here are a few reasons to stay optimistic.
This has happened before
The 1987 A’s — the last team to go 0-4 — were a team in transition. Manager Tony La Russa was brought on mid-season the year prior and pulled the talent on that roster into a .500 ballclub that would go on to win three straight pennants, including the A’s last World Series in 1989.
But the situation in ’87 wasn’t quite like the one in 2021, which has a club that entered the season as postseason hopefuls. Perhaps this year’s situation is more like 2001 with the Big Three, Jason Giambi and Miguel Tejada that went 2-10 to start the season and 8-17 in the month of April. That team went 58-17 in the second half on its way to a 102-60 record and infamous loss to the New York Yankees in the ALDS.
Or, if you want to go more recent, the 2012 A’s team went 4-7 to start the season, finished the first half 45-45 and went on a 51-25 tear in the second half to finish with 94 wins and a division title. Albeit, that run was somewhat unexpected. As was the 2018 run that began this contention window, in which the team went 4-8 to start the season and finished with 97 wins and a wild card berth.
Slow starts have been a staple of this particular group over the last few years. The A’s went 14-19 in March and April of 2019, finishing with 97 wins again. They went 4-3 to start the 2020 season before going on a nine-game win streak, bolstering them tremendously in the 60-game year.
The A’s are no stranger to the slow start. This particular team is used to overcoming them, too.
Some gems in the rubble
A few A’s performed relatively well despite the beatdown. They could lead the charge for the A’s to make chase early on.
Matt Olson’s strong spring performance is translating nicely to the regular season. He’s not hit a home run yet and he’s just 4-for-14 with a double. But the hard contact he’s made is a strong indication that he’s seeing the ball well and making the kind of contact that will make him one of the team’s biggest threats this year. He won’t maintain his 99.5 mph exit velocity he’s averaging right now, but it’s a sign that that kind of contact will translate to more power over time.
Canha is also starting to heat up in his new role as the everyday leadoff hitter. Canha made a decision to shrink his strike zone two years ago, he said Monday, in order to be ultra-selective until there are two strikes.
“I happened to chase less when I did that,” Canha said. “I take a few more strikes than I used to, but that’s how I do it now. I found that it works.”
Canha has a hit in three of the first four games with two walks on Saturday and two hits in Sunday’s game.
“I trusted that my approach in the past would be a good approach in the leadoff spot. I think Bob (Melvin) knows that and the front office knows that. If I stick to that approach, whether I’m hitting or not, there’s value there.
“When I’m doing that well, controlling the strike zone well. Whether I’m swinging the bat well or not, I can get on base and still be somewhat productive.”
Jed Lowrie is also off to a strong start in his third stint with the A’s. The 36-year-old is playing a strong second base and has lent a similarly strong approach at the plate. He’s 3-for-11 with a double in three games.
Injuries aren’t helping
It’s no excuse, and the team will say as much. But key injuries have barred the A’s from going at this grueling stretch of games at 100 percent strength.
They entered the season without new closer Trevor Rosenthal, who is dealing with some shoulder fatigue. He is on medication for it and has been placed on the 10-day injured list. Rosenthal bookends a bullpen that is best suited to mix and match through the sixth and eighth innings. Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino, Sergio Romo and Adam Kolarek are best used in particular matchups to keep opposing hitters on their toes.
Sean Murphy was hit on the wrist by a pitch on opening night. He’s been out since that game. His powerful bat and game-calling are sorely missed. Ramón Laureano has been out of commission since he jammed his wrist sliding into first base in Game 2. He was one of the team’s strongest hitters to start, going 3-for-7 with a triple and a double in two games.
The A’s will also be without Chad Pinder for the near future after the outfielder sprained his left knee making a catch at the right-field wall on the very first at-bat on Sunday. Pinder was entering into, potentially, some consistent playing time as a starter over Stephen Piscotty because he’s been swinging a hotter bat dating back to the 2020 postseason.
It’s too early in the season to panic
The A’s are embarrassed by the 0-4 start. They know they haven’t played good baseball. And they know they can be better.
Even if the core has mostly stayed intact since 2020 — Matt Chapman, Olson, Canha, Laureano, pitchers Jesús Luzardo, Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt and some bullpen pillars — the team is allowing itself some time to adjust to the new additions, such as Lowrie, shortstop Elvis Andrus and, eventually, Rosenthal, among other new bullpen mates.
“I don’t think there’s any panic,” Canha said. “That series had the feel of, we’re trying to feel out who we are and we have a different roster and a different team than we had last year. Nobody is too down on themselves over what happened. It was bad. We know that. We also know we have a whole lot of baseball left.”