Athletics show signs of returning to form in win over White Sox
Granted it was a game against the Chicago White Sox, who are in fourth place and 15.5 games out of first place in the A.L. Central but the Oakland Athletics showed signs of being their old selves on Tuesday night.
They may have been playing a fourth place team but they were facing John Danks, the White Sox former ace. They will be facing Chicago’s current ace, Chris Sale on Thursday.
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Danks has struggled since being sidelined by a torn tendon in his shoulder in 2012. He missed a year and hasn’t kept his ERA under 4.00 since but he still can be a pitcher to watch out for.
The A’s handled Danks with ease, putting 18 hits on the board and scoring more than ten runs for the first time since August 12 in a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium, before their recent month long slump was really getting under way. The A’s defeated the White Sox 11-2 Tuesday night.
Jon Lester finally got the run support his stellar outings have deserved. He’s kept his ERA at 2.59 and pitched a complete game three-hit shutout since joining the Athletics but his record is now just 3-3.
Josh Donaldson was the other star of the night. He went five for six with five RBI, bringing the rain to the south side of Chicago. It was the most hits for Donaldson in a single game in his career.
Josh Donaldson: "Baseball is a stupid game. Last night I didn’t even come close to touching anything, tonight most hits in my career."
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) September 10, 2014
Each Athletic who played got at least one hit with the exceptions of Brandon Moss, who hasn’t seemed to break out of his slump just yet, and Josh Reddick.
The lone downside to Tuesday night’s game for the Athletics was the loss of outfielder Craig Gentry to a concussion he received in a collision. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser reports that manager Bob Melvin believes Gentry will be out for “a while.”
Melvin doesn't know how long Gentry will be out but says it will be a while. Gentry asked what happened after collision. #Athletics
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) September 10, 2014
This is a blow to the Athletics but also an opportunity. Rookie call-up, the speedy Billy Burns may have a couple of chances to play in the outfield and show his crazy skills on the base paths. So you can likely look for Burns to make a start soon.
All in all things were looking like they should have been since acquiring Lester. Their bats were on fire with their new ace on the mound and they put up a score like they did while they held the best record in baseball. Lester is not just the team’s ace but the postseason veteran of the group so he knows what he is talking about when he told Slusser,
Jon Lester: "When it comes down to it, you just need to get in. ... Because once you’re in, anything can happen.” http://t.co/slrun6xe4V
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) September 10, 2014
It is one game and of course anything can happen but the Athletics were showed that they are capable of returning to their early season form.