Oakland Athletics Hammer White Sox 8-2: Game Notes and Scouting Report
The Oakland Athletics put up a five-spot in the first and Kendall Graveman struck out seven in Oakland’s solid win over the White Sox on Friday.
This is the second of a six-part scouting series. In addition to this Athletics game, I will be covering the following games: CLE@CWS (3/25), CIN@SEA (3/26), COL@TEX (3/27) and LAD@SEA (3/19). You can find my summary of Thursday’s game between the Dodgers and Rangers here. Follow me on Twitter @JoePiazza_ for live game updates!
Oakland Athletics starter Kendall Graveman made quick work of the Chicago White Sox in the top of the first, inducing two grounders and a fly out on just three pitches. The bottom of the inning wasn’t as kind to Zach Putnam, who lasted through just one out and gave up five runs. Matt Joyce led things off with a first-pitch single, and the A’s just kept putting the pressure on. A two-run homer by Ryon Healy the next inning made the score 7-0, and the White Sox were unable to mount a comeback.
Graveman put on a very good show Friday, allowing just one earned run while striking out seven in seven innings. It was a good time for him to step up and show what he can do, as this proves him worthy of making the Opening Day start for Oakland. Liam Hendriks did a fine job in the eighth, striking out two while “allowing” an unearned run. Ryan Dull closed things out for the A’s, walking one and striking out one in the ninth.
The White Sox pitchers weren’t as fortunate. They gave up not only eight earned runs, but collectively walked nine batters. The only Chicago pitcher to have success was Anthony Swarzak. In 2.1 innings of work, Swarzak collected five Ks and allowed just two baserunners. As a whole, the White Sox were outplayed, and this is the sort of performance you’d expect from a rebuliding team.
Athletics Batting
For Oakland, the runs came early and they came in spurts. Five singles and two walks led to a five-run first inning, knocking White Sox starter Zack Putnam out before he’d even recorded two outs in the game. Matt Joyce, Trevor Plouffe, Yonder Alonso, Mark Canha and Chris Parmelee all collected hits in the first, while Jed Lowrie and Stephen Vogt drew walks. Putnam was replaced with Matt Purke, but Purke couldn’t stop the bleeding. The White Sox were leaving the ball over the middle of the plate, and the A’s took full advantage of it.
With the bases loaded and one out, Marcus Semien hit the first pitch off Purke for an RBI ground out to short. Canha and Parmelee followed up with RBI singles before Joyce flied out in his second at bat of the inning. The A’s started the second inning as well as the first. Lowrie singled to left to lead things off, which brought Ryon Healy to the plate. Healy drove a 2-0 pitch over the wall in left, extending Oakland’s lead to 7-0. They loaded the bases once again, but Jake Petricka came in and induced a double play to minimize the damage. The A’s loaded the bases again in the fourth, and Jace Fry walked in another run to push their run total to eight.
White Sox Batting
Chicago was ill-prepared for the A’s pitching, and failed to ever get the ball rolling. A Tim Anderson single and RBI double by Avisail Garcia was the extent of their success against Graveman, but that was it. They managed to score another run in the eighth, albeit unearned. Tyler Saladino barreled the ball up a few times, including a line drive double to left in his first at bat.
Altogether, the White Sox could only muster five hits against Oakland. Four of those were doubles, but they could never get the momentum going. Luckily for White Sox fans, only two, maybe three everyday starters appeared in this game. Anderson, Saladino and maybe Garcia were the lone Chicago hitters we can expect to see regularly in 2017. It wasn’t a good day for the White Sox hitters, but they’re not all going to be winners.
Athletics Pitching
The Athletics pitching staff was in control the whole game. Kendall Graveman gave up that one run in the fourth, but the team already had seven runs on the board by that point. Graveman finished the game with 5 H, 1 ER, 7 K and 0 BB in 7 IP. White Sox hitters looked over-matched all day against him, and didn’t do any better against the bullpen. Graveman’s start against Chicago lowered his spring ERA to 2.29, making him the clear choice to take the mound on Opening Day for the A’s.
At 26 years old, the future looks bright for the Athletics starter. It would be more reassuring if he had done this against the White Sox’s more proven hitters, but that’s just how Spring Training is. If Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera and Todd Frazier had been in the lineup, Graveman might have struggled more than he did.
Relievers
If Friday’s game was any indication of how the bullpen will be in 2017, the Athletics could be a legitimate playoff contender. Liam Hendriks was called upon to relieve Graveman, and pitched an effective eighth inning. An error by right fielder Tyler Marnicov allowed Chicago outfielder Jacob May to score, but the run wasn’t charged to Hendriks. Despite walking Nicky Delmonico, he still registered two strikeouts in the inning.
Ryan Dull finished things up in the ninth, recording a walk and a strikeout along the way. Dull had a strong 2016, and Hendriks is yet to surrender an earned run this spring. When you throw them into the mix with Ryan Madson, John Axford, Sean Doolittle and Santiago Casilla, it’s easy to picture playoff baseball in Oakland.
White Sox Pitching
It’s hard to blame the White Sox pitchers for how this game went, considering the last-minute change of plans. Carlos Rodon was scheduled to start, but was scratched due to tightness in his left forearm. This meant Zach Putnam would take the mound in the first, and the Sox were destined for a bullpen game.
Unsurprisingly, Putnam didn’t last long. He was pulled in the first inning, allowing five earned runs and recording just one out. This just goes to show you what lack of preparation can do to a pitcher. Zach Putnam isn’t exactly a bullpen staple, but he’s a solid reliever. With adequate preparation, the White Sox should not expect this sort of performance out of Putnam regularly.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Next: Dodgers 10 Rangers 2 - Game Notes
Relievers
Considering the circumstances, the White Sox bullpen didn’t do so bad. Matt Purke and Jace Frye were unable to stop the scoring, contributing negatively to their team’s cause. On the other hand, there were four Chicago relievers to pitch at least one scoreless inning. Anthony Swarzak was the star of the bunch, striking out five over 2.1 innings, allowing just two singles. Jake Petricka, Colton Turner and El’Hajj Muhammad also had scoreless appearances.
Altogether, the White Sox bullpen struck out nine batters in the contest. That’s impressive for a bunch of relievers, but they did give up 12 hits in 8.2 innings. The White Sox are now entrenched in a rebuliding phase, and this is what their bullpen will look like nowadays.