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In my game threads post I suggested that a fifteen run route of Team Brazil was one I very much desired. Fourteen runs later, the A’s walk away with a win, one run short of my predicted run total but just as offensively sweet.
Let’s get into it…
Aaron Civale took the bump today, for the first as a member of The Athletics. Last season was a bit of a let down for the righty. Sixty-seven innings with the White Sox left him haggard, his ERA bumping up against six (5.37). He’d be claimed off of waivers by the cross town Cubs where, in the small sample size of five games and thirteen innings – – he kind’ve got dirty with it. Most probably remember his four plus innings of no run baseball against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Clearly David Forst and the A’s took notice because they threw him a one year contract of major league proportions (I’m assuming his other offers capped out at an invite to camp).
Things didn’t go great for Civale. Yes, it was his first outing but he was playing against a bunch of scrubs. Team Brazil got going early in the first. A pair of singles out of the gate, including one by Lucas Ramirez (son of 2012 A’s Spring Training legend Manny Ramirez), allowed for a Leonardo Reginatto sac fly to put the WBC club up early.
That lead, thankfully, would be short lived. In the bottom half of the first, Jeff McNeil turned on an off-speed pitch, pulling it down the right field line for a two-run home run and scoring shortstop Jacob Wilson in the process. The runs didn’t stop there. A batter later, Austin Wynns connected for a home run of his own. According to Statcast, Wynn’s solo pimp job traveled 433 ft!
A Brett Harris double made it 4-1. Tommy White’s ground out paired with a Ryan Lasko fielders choice brought in two more runs, making it 6-1 A’s, followed by another appearance by Jacob Wilson in the bottom of the first, in which he knocked in Clark Elliott on a sacrifice fly piece.
Wilson collected another RBI in the third inning, scoring outfielder Ryan Lasko who had just knocked in three via a triple.
The last gasp of life for Team Brazil took place in the fifth inning, when a Jack Perkins throwing error put runners in scoring position (second and third) with less than two outs. Lucas Rojo’s sacrifice fly made it 11-2 A’s. Perkins would walk Victor Mascal with two outs, setting up pinch hitter Gabriel Gomes for a bases clearing triple.
That would be it on the scoring end for Team Brazil and I have to say – – they got to Jack Perkins. This surprised me a little bit as the righty was coming off a pretty solid showing against the Rangers. Maybe the five day break in between appearances left him a little rusty? If so, I think that’s a great example of why he should be coming out of the pen. Let’s keep the kid hot and constantly in the loop.
Speaking of the pen, everyone after Perkins did a great job of holding down the fort. The newly acquired duo of Scott Barlow and Mark Leiter Jr. provided an inning and a third of shutout ball. No hits. One strikeout for Leiter Jr. Gambling icon Michael Kelly collected a pair of strikes of his own, including the two fastest pitches of the game (97.6 and 97.0).
The last three runs for the A’s all involved Bryan Lavastida as he’d get things going in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single and score on Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s base hit.
After seven innings of blow out baseball, we’d have ourselves a travel ball-style mercy rule.
“That’s ball game!”
“good game” “good game” “good game”
SCathletics pointed out in response to Banana Shoes’ comment regarding Joshua Kuroda-Grauer that he is currently five for eleven with zero strikeouts so far this spring. Yes, we’d have to go in and investigate who those hits were against and what the circumstances were but still – – at the very least it’ll breed confidence in the young prospect as he makes his way through the minors. Him and fellow 2024 draft pick Tommy White have been putting on a solid show. Something tells me we’ll look back fondly on that 2024 draft class and marvel at all the talent it brought us.
Weird to think that the last Oakland A’s draft class might’ve been the big one that set them up for success in Las Vegas.
No rest for the wicked! The A’s will be back at it against the Arizona Diamondbacks tomorrow afternoon. Same time. Same place. Let me know what other players you’re geeking on in the comments and if you’ve got any TV show recommendations. Because most of these games aren’t available to watch, I’ve been listening to them on A’s Cast whilst watching TV like a sicko. Today’s visual entree was that ridiculous Brent Shield’s romdram Cupid and Cate starring Mary Louise Parker (babe) and Peter Gallagher (zaddy). Maybe it’s because I was also listening to a full on A’s game but the whole movie felt like it was missing two innings. There’s that big fight between Mary Louise Parker’s dad and her and her sisters and then it just…ends? Aren’t we missing a few beats with the whole Gallagher storyline? I feel like we are! Whatever :/ Jokes on me for expecting more from a Hallmark Movie.
I, like Team Brazil, should be thankful they called it early.