With a record of 10-38 and smarting from being swept for the seventh time this season following a 2-0 road loss to the Houston Astros Sunday, the Athletics are deep into the moral victory stage of a lost season.
Moral wins supposedly aren’t part of professional sports, but in reality they always have existed even if they’re never recognized as such by the principles.
Left-hander Framber Valdez put the A’s on lockdown, spinning his fifth career complete game and second shutout, giving up five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in evening his record at 4-4 and dropping his ERA to 2.45.
With a strong five innings from James Kaprielian, the A’s had three above-average performances from their starting pitchers against Houston, which improved to 27-19. It was the seventh straight win for the defending World Series champions. The games were all competitive and the A’s played some sparkling defense.
It was three losses, but not the kind of losses the A’s absorbed back in April when they were being embarrassed in Tampa Bay against the Rays, a sweep that concluded with back-to-back 11-0 defeats.
“We can build on this series,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. “I know the wins weren’t there but from the standpoint of (starting pitching) getting better and keeping us in games, they did that this weekend and if we can continue to do that I think it can lead to success.”
The A’s did next to nothing offensively against Valdez. The first hit came when Valdez was late covering a grounder to the right side, with Jesus Aguilar getting a gift single. Aledmys Diaz hit a dunker to right for a single in the fifth, Esteury Ruiz a sleight-of-hand double in the sixth and Nick Allen a single to right in the ninth.
Valdez threw 104 pitches, 64 of them strikes, with 13 batters retired on ground outs.
“Vintage Framber,” Kotsay said. “A lot of ground balls. His sinker played today. I think the breaking ball is tough to pick up. We battled, we just couldn’t get to him.”
On the bright side . . . .
A new Kaprielian?
Kaprielian walked four batters, but struck out five and made pitches when he had to for outs. He gave up a run-scoring single to Jose Altuve in the fifth. Houston’s second run came on a wild pitch by Sam Moll with Jake Meyers on third.
Recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas for the second time in 10 days, Kaprielian looks as if he will be asked to stick around this time before his next start.
Recovering from shoulder surgery and urged to make some mechanical changes, Kaprielian got back to basics in Las Vegas.
“I’m getting back to mechanically closer to what I was in the past,” Kaprielian said. “Some of the changes we made weren’t necessarily for the better.”
Television cameras caught Kaprielian in an animated discussion with Kotsay when he wasn’t sent out for the sixth. Kaprielian may have rediscovered himself in the minors, but the demotions clearly stung.
“Regardless of who has lost trust in me, I haven’t lost trust in myself,” Kaprielian said. “I know what I’m capable of. To continue to ride that belief is going to be important for me.”
A magical slide by Ruiz
Ruiz extended his hit streak to seven games with a sixth-inning double in which he deked Altuve with a remarkable slide into second. With two out in the sixth, Ruiz hit a ball to center and was thinking double all the way.
Meyers made a strong play and got the ball to Altuve in time for the out. Except when Altuve put down the tag, Ruiz pulled his left hand away, Altuve got nothing but air, and Ruiz tagged the bag and held on with his right hand. Originally called out, he was ruled safe on appeal.
Ruiz went to third on his league-leading 23rd stolen base but was stranded there.
Laureano steals a homer
Jeremy Pena launched what appeared to be a two-run home run to right center in the second inning, but right fielder Ramon Laureano timed the ball perfectly, caught the ball at the top of his jump and turned the drive into an out.
Kaprielian saluted Laureano, and Pena did the same.
The A’s also had two sparkling infield plays by Diaz at third and Nick Allen at shortstop.
“Ramon robbing the home run was big, and Diaz with his play at third base really showed himself out there,” Kotsay said.
The return of Seth Brown
The A’s leader in home runs (25) and RBIs (73) last season, Brown was lost to an oblique strain and missed his 40th game of the season. But he will rejoin the A’s in Seattle Monday after a painless 1-for-5 rehab start in Stockton Saturday.
It’s likely Brown will be activated, but his role could be different. When injured, Kotsay had decided to make Brown an everyday player, allowing him to hit left-handers rather than be platooned. He was hitting just .200 with a homer and two RBIs.
Ruiz has been a fixture in center, with Laureano in right and Brent Rooker as either DH or left field. Tony Kemp has occasionally played in the outfielder, while J.J. Bleday has been in a recent slump and played in right.
