A’s Jharel Cotton gets Ks, gets out of trouble
Jharel Cotton made his spring debut for the A’s on Tuesday, and — facing the AL champion Indians — the rookie right-hander struck out the first four batters he faced.
Cotton — likely the A’s fourth starter, even if the team is not yet calling him that — had a tricky second inning.
Leadoff batter Abraham Almonte reached on a strikeout-wild pitch, Chris Colabello walked and Daniel Robertson was hit by a pitch.
Cotton got Richie Schaffer to hit a chopper to first, where Yonder Alonso made a terrific diving stop to start a 3-6-1 double play, and though one run scored, Cotton got out of the inning with no further trouble.
Fifth-starter candidate Andrew Triggs worked two innings and allowed one hit, a double, along with an unearned run.
Ross Detwiler worked one perfect inning.
Rajai Davis, the A’s new center fielder, hit one of the biggest homers in Cleveland history last fall in Game 7 of the World Series, a tying two-run shot in the eighth inning.
Nonroster reliever Simon Castro has a fan in manager Bob Melvin, who loves the 6-foot-5 right-hander’s forceful presence on the mound.
Fifth-starter candidate Frankie Montas and relievers Ryan Madson and John Axford will make their first spring appearances Thursday. …
Nonroster reliever Tyler Sturdevant (back) threw a bullpen session and Chris Bassett and Felix Doubront, each coming off Tommy John surgery, threw 25-pitch bullpen sessions. …
With catcher Ryan Lavarnway departing to play for Israel in the World Baseball Classic, the A’s have borrowed catcher Santiago Chavez from minor-league camp.
Marcus Semien hit his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot to right in the first off Mike Clevenger. …
The ball appeared to glance off a fan sunbathing on the grass; he appeared to be fine afterward, and certainly was more alert. …
[...] baseman Joey Wendle made a game-saving, lunging grab to end the game. …