A’s Jesús Luzardo bounces back from stumble with his very best against Diamondbacks
OAKLAND — Jesús Luzardo snarled in frustration when manager Bob Melvin started up the dugout steps to get him. The rookie left-hander had thrown 93 pitches, the most of his big league career. He’d lasted 6 innings and one out, the longest he’d ever spent on a big league mound.
Even so, he might’ve had another out or two in him; he, at least, wanted another crack at Nick Ahmed, who had one of the four hits Luzardo allowed in his scoreless outing. But, his second career win was in good hands with the this bullpen, who allowed just one manufactured run in the A’s 4-1 victory Wednesday night against an Arizona Diamondbacks team that had won six straight heading into Oakland.
“He looked cool as a cucumber,” A’s designated hitter Mark Canha said of the 22-year-old starter. “He’s a great young pitcher.”
Maturity that showed when Luzardo wiggled out of sticky situations as a reliever in his introductory outings, the confidence that coaches and teammates have raved about, came in plain sight again.
This start was a clean and promising bounce-back after Luzardo had stumbled against the San Francisco Giants. The worst start of his career. Little feel for his breaking stuff forced him to throw his fastball in too many fastball counts, and opposing hitters made him pay, resulting in six runs and loads of hard contact in 3 1/3 innings. The worst start of his career.
Wednesday, with a changeup he could move against both left-handed and right-handed hitters along with a better feel for his slider, Luzardo struck out seven Diamondbacks. It was the best start of his career. Granted, he’s only had five now.
“My changeup was the best it’s been all year,” Luzardo said. How did he get the breaking ball feel back?
“I just lost it in my last start…in all my starts,” Luzardo said. “But, now I was able to throw it for a strike. I got late bite on it. So, I’m glad to have it back again.”
Luzardo was efficient and deadly, running into trouble just once. He escaped two-on, sixth inning jam with a little help from the corner infield defense. Matt Chapman scooped up a Starling Marte ground ball, got the force out at third and rifled it to Matt Olson, who made a difficult pick to complete the 5-3 double play. Ramón Laureano chipped in, too, snagging Christian Walker’s long fly.
“I let him know about 100 times that he’s the man. It saved me a lot of pitches,” Luzardo said of Chapman’s play at third. “It let me go back out for the next inning.”
Manager Bob Melvin was eyeing a quick hook for Luzardo in the seventh inning, though. The skipper drawing a soft 95-pitch bar for him. A one-out single to Kole Calhoun was the last batter he’d face. The one to follow, Ahmed, is prone to drawing long at bats, and Melvin wanted Yusmeiro Petit in to tackle the bottom of the order from there.
Tim Locastro manufactured Arizona’s only run of the night against Joakim Soria. After a leadoff single, he stole second and moved to third on a ground out before scoring on a sacrifice fly. It was just the second earned run Soria wore this season.
Liam Hendriks closed it out with a 15-pitch, one-strikeout save. His eighth of the season.
Offense gets it done early
Early innings haven’t been kind to the A’s offense. Entering Wednesday’s game, the A’s held a .214 average with 22 home runs and a.638 OPS over collective one-through-six innings. Not too devastating, but pale in comparison to their late game offensive stats. From innings seven and beyond, the A’s have a .244 average, 14 home runs and an .830 OPS.
They’d buck that trend Wednesday against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. With the bases loaded in the first inning, Robbie Grossman hit a ground-rule double, scoring a pair to give the A’s a 2-0 lead.
Grossman’s been the most consistent hitter in the A’s offense — he leads his teammates by a considerable margin slashing .292/.452/.615 with a 1.068 OPS. He’s generated more power by sitting back and using his legs more, Melvin said.
“With the amount of at bats he’s had now, this is his best start,” Melvin said. “He’s got a little more juice this year, too.”
Grossman, a switch-hitter, has mostly been platooning in left field against right-handed pitching, but the A’s could consider keeping his hot bat in against some left-handers, too. He’s only batted right-handed in eight plate appearances, but has three walks and two hits, including a triple, in those appearances.
Mark Canha struck in the third inning with a two-run home run, his third of the season. It scored Matt Chapman, who hit his seventh double of the year.