Canha’s walk-off double leads A’s.
Canha’s double in the 11th inning keeps A’s in control in wild-card race
OAKLAND >> Blake Treinen hasn’t been himself this season. A perpetual struggle with command fronted a biting injury bug.
It bit back in June, when Treinen landed on the 10-day IL with a shoulder injury. It bit again in September, a month bogged by bullpen fatigue; Treinen will be out for the regular season (and potentially the postseason) with a stress reaction in his back. Treinen said it was affecting him the last few days.
It was clear there had been a shift within the A’s bullpen when Chris Bassitt started warming up in the bottom of the 11th inning on Wednesday. A Bassitt bullpen appearance wouldn’t be necessary, though. Mark Canha’s walk-off hit broke a scoreless game, handing the A’s a 1-0 series-clinching win over the Kansas City Royals.
A Canha walk-off seemed appropriate: the A’s gave away free shirts featuring
his likeness — he’s one of three hometown heroes. The crowd waved them during Canha’s at-bat. His team wore them following the win.
The win concluded a 16game stretch that included a week in humid Texas, and the fatigue clearly iced a hot A’s offense that could only muster three runs over its past 20 innings.
But back to Bassitt’s move to the bullpen and Treinen’s injury, which should have a couple of implications for the team as it clings to that first wildcard spot and the home playoff game that comes with it. PIGGYBACKING/BRIDGE RELIEF >> Bassitt has 10 games as a reliever on his resumé. Sure, it pales in comparison to the 55 games he’s started, but those 22 innings already paved a mental pathway for Bassitt to think like a reliever. And he’s not the only player who must adjust.
Bassitt joins a strong trio that includes Jesús Luzardo and A.J. Puk as starters-posing-as-relievers who can eat up innings typically left to a shaky and tired bullpen.
“It’s more so based on us being fresh going into the postseason,” Bassitt said. “We have to set ourselves up the best possible way we can.”
The magic of piggybacking, other than giving the bullpen a breather, lies in the yin and yang a starter and reliever provide. Sean Manaea’s deceptive arsenal is met midgame by Luzardo’s wicked repertoire. Brett Anderson’s sinker- heavy, contact-friendly approach is contrasted with A.J. Puk’s befuddling fastball/slider/changeup mix. Bassitt can complement Athletics starters with a burst of his rainbow curveball and renewed confidence in an expanding arsenal.
“The only thing it might do is, the starter knows he’s not going to go deep,” Bassitt said. “So you can crank it up a little more to start the game. You’ve seen some starters, their velo(city) increases of late when they’re piggybacking.”
Anderson’s fastball has been ticking up to 95 mph, such as when he might’ve been told Luzardo would relieve him sooner in the game than later.
Piggybacking has been an effective approach for the A’s. Luzardo’s given up two runs over six innings in two appearances with six strikeouts. Puk’s adjusted more to big league life since a slightly wild debut, giving up one run over his last five appearances with seven strikeouts. Bassitt has starter stuff with a mentality that lets him fluctuate roles.
“I’ve done it, you look at my career, most of it is out of the bullpen, so it’s an easy transition,” he said. “The bullpen guys need a break, so if I can eat innings, so be it.”
OPENING ROSTER SPOTS >> Treinen’s injury presumably precludes a move to the injured list. Once Treinen is placed, it opens up a spot for catcher Sean Murphy on a postseason roster. Stephen Piscotty looks destined for a prolonged IL stint, which means his spot could be left for Luzardo.
• Bailey did not need any piggybacking on Wednesday. He band-aided a tired offense with seven innings of shutout baseball. He set a season-high with 11 strikeouts, seven on his splitter. He gave up just three hits, two to Alex Gordon. Chad Pinder’s diving catch in the seventh preserved the shutout and had a typically stoic Bailey hyped up.