OAKLAND ATHLETICS NOTES:
ABOUT THE A’S: Have lost five straight, 12 of the last 14 and 24 of the last 28 games…are 12-50 (.194) overall, which matches the 1932 Red Sox for the second worst record after 62 games by an AL, NL or FL team since 1900…the worst is the 1904 Senators (11-48/.186…had three games called with the score tied)… it is the worst over any 62-game stretch since the 2021 Diamondbacks went 12-50 from May 9-July 18…were swept in a three-game series at Miami over the weekend and have now been swept nine times…are 2-17-0 in series play.
HOME AND AWAY: The A’s have a 15-game road losing streak, which ties the Oakland record set from May 24-June 23, 1986…the last A’s team to lose more than 15 straight road games is the 1945 Philadelphia A’s, who lost 19 in a row from May 20- July 3, 1945…the A’s last road win came on May 6 at Kansas City…are 0-4 on this nine-game road trip to Miami (0-3), Pittsburgh (0-1) and Milwaukee (three games)…it is the first of two three-city road trips this year…went 0-7 on the last road trip to Houston (0-3) and Seattle (0-4)…it was the eighth time in Oakland history the A’s went winless on a road trip of seven or more games, the first time since Aug. 11-17, 2015 when they went 0-7 against Toronto (0-3) and Baltimore (0-4)…are 5-26 (.161) on the road, which is the worst road record in the majors…went 2-4 on the last homestand against Houston (0-3) and Atlanta (2-1) and are 7-24 (.226) at home, which is the lowest home winning percentage in the majors.
OFFENSE: The A’s have gone homerless in six consecutive games, which matches the longest such streak by an A’s team over the last 13 years (last: May 19- 24, 2023)…last went homerless in seven straight from Aug. 8-15, 2010…have 57 home runs overall, which is tied for seventh fewest in the majors…were hit by a pitch three times yesterday, their fourth game with three or more hit by pitches this year…lead the majors with 38 hit by pitches overall and are on pace for 99, which would break the Athletics record of 98 set in 2021…are batting .186 (99-for-531) with 37 runs scored over the last 17 games (2.18 runs per game)…have scored 210 runs for the season (3.39 per game), which matches the Tigers for the fewest in the majors…have the lowest OPS (.645) and batting average (.218) in the majors, the second lowest slugging percentage (.347) and third lowest on-base percentage (.298)…rank second in fewest extra base hits (145), third in most strikeouts (577) and fourth in fewest doubles (82)…have 12 sacrifice hits, which is tied for second most to the Pirates (14)…have been shut out eight times, which is tied for the most in the majors…A’s pinch hitters lead the majors in hits (15) and walks (10) and rank second in plate appearances (66).
PITCHING: The A’s have a 6.69 ERA, which is the highest in the majors…according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the highest ERA by an AL or NL team since the earned run became an official stat is 6.70 by the 1930 Philadelphia Phillies… also have the highest opponents OPS (.861), batting average (.279), on-base percentage (.371) and slugging percentage (.491) in the majors this year…lead the majors in most walks (285), home runs (101) and hit batters (42), have the second most wild pitches (31) and are tied for the fifth fewest strikeouts (467)…have surrendered six grand slams, which are the most in the majors and tied for fifth most in a season in Athletics history (8 in 1993 and 1999, 7 in 1954 and 1997)…also lead the majors with 12 walks with the bases loaded, which matches the most by an A’s team over the last 11 years.
STARTING PITCHING: A’s starting pitchers are 0-16 with a 6.10 ERA (84 er in 124.0 ip) in the 26 games since recording their only two wins of the season on May 5 and 6 at Kansas City…went 0-16 over the first 32 games and are 2-32 with a 7.10 ERA for the season…the ERA is the highest in the majors and no other team has fewer than nine wins from its starters…the fewest wins from a starting rotation in a full season in Major League history is 21 by the Pirates last year…the A’s have the second fewest innings pitched this year (286.1).
FOR OPENERS: The A’s have used an opener four times this year, all in the previous 12 games…A’s openers are 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA (4.0 ip, 8 h, 5 r, 5 er, 4 so) and the “main” pitchers in those games are 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA (18.0 ip, 21 h, 12 r, 12 er, 7 bb, 22 so)…have lost all four games…used an opener nine times in 2018 (all in September) and three times in 2019 (none after June 5).
THE BULLPEN: The A’s bullpen is 0-for-2 in save opportunities over the last 28 games…the streak of 28 consecutive games without a save matches the second longest single-season streak in A’s history since the save became an official stat in 1969 (May 14-Aug. 10, 1981)…the longest single-season streak is a 30- game streak from June 1-July 2, 1980…the A’s last save was on May 6 at Kansas City…the pen is 4-for-15 (26.7%) in save opportunities for the season…has the lowest save percentage and fewest saves in the majors and the 11 blown saves are tied for ninth most…has the highest ERA in the majors (6.22) and the second most innings pitched (254.2)…has allowed 50-of-117 (42.77%) inherited runners to score, which is the third highest percentage…has the second most inherited runners.
ON THE BASES: The A’s are 58-for-73 (79.5%) in stolen base attempts…are tied for third in the majors in stolen bases and rank fourth in attempts…opponents are 47-for-65 (72.3%), which is the sixth lowest success rate in the majors… the 18 caught stealings are second most…A’s pitchers are tied for second in the majors in pickoffs (6).
WINNING LATE: The A’s have scored the winning run in their final at bat in eight of their 12 wins…have five walk-off wins, which is tied with the White Sox and Yankees for the most in the majors…have six wins when tied after seven innings, three when trailing after seven innings and three when leading after seven innings…are tied for the third most wins in the majors when tied after seven innings and are tied for ninth in wins when trailing after seven innings… however, no other team has fewer than 14 wins when leading after seven innings…are 3-4 (.429) in extra inning games…are tied for third in the majors in extra inning losses and tied for seventh in wins and games (7).
RUN DIFFERENTIAL: The A’s are 8-11 (.421) in one-run games…are tied for fifth in the majors in one-run losses and tied for eighth in games (19)…are 4-39 (.093) in games decided by two or more runs, including 0-14 in games decided by six or more runs…have a run differential of -213, which is the lowest in the majors…had a run differential of -202 all last year, which was second lowest in Oakland history (-287 in 1979).
A’s IN MAY: The A’s went 6-23 (.207) in May after going 5-23 (.179) in April…both records were the worst in the majors…set an Athletics record for losses in May after matched the A’s total from April this year for second most in any month in Oakland history (24 in June, 1979)…it is the 16th 20-loss month in Oakland history, the fourth in the last two years…it is the second time since 1954 the A’s had back-to-back 20-loss months…the other time was in May and June last year when they had 21 each month…the May winning percentage was second lowest in May in Athletics history (4-17, .190 in 1919)…compiled a 5.54 ERA in May after posting a 7.97 ERA in April, both of which were the highest in the majors…surrendered 49 home runs, which is second most in May in Athletics history (57 in 1964) and second most in any month in Oakland history (50 in April, 2023)…batted .208, which was the lowest mark in the majors and second lowest for any month in Athletics history (.207 in Aug. 1906)…struck out 264 times, which is the most in May in Athletics history…scored 87 runs, which was second fewest in the majors and third fewest in May in Oakland history…it was the fewest since 1978 (79).
THIS AND THAT: The A’s have an eight-game errorless streak, which is their longest over the last two years…however, have 35 errors for the season, which is tied for eighth most in the majors…had their 13th outfield assist last night, which is the most in the majors…are 11-25 (.306) in night games, 1-25 (.038) in day games…have employed 45 players, which is the most in the majors (Brewers, 44)…have used 29 pitchers, which is second most (Rays, 30)…have an average time of game of 2:45, which is the longest in the majors…however, have not averaged under 2:53 per game since 2010 (2:43).
A’S VS. PIRATES
- The A’s and Pirates meet for the first time since 2019 when Oakland lost two of three at Pittsburgh.
- Have lost three straight and seven of the last eight games after winning each of the first 11.
- Have dropped four of the last five games in Pittsburgh.
Year Home Road Totals
2023 0-0 0-1 0-1
2019 0-0 1-2 1-2
Oakland History: 12-7
at the Coliseum: 6-3
PNC Park: 6-4
TODAY’S TIDBITS
Ryan Noda leads Major League rookies in on-base percentage (.403) and walks (39), ranks fifth in OPS (.829), tied for fifth in runs (29), seventh in doubles (12) and slugging (.446), eighth in extra base hits (19) and tied for ninth in home runs (6)…Esteury Ruiz leads ML rookies in stolen bases (29) and hit by pitches (12), ranks second in hits (64), tied for fourth in doubles (14), seventh in batting (.267), tied for seventh in RBI (25), 10th in on-base percentage (.328) and tied for 10th in extra base hits (16).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: James Kaprielian (0-6, 8.12 ERA)
FOR STARTERS: Was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas May 20 for his third stint with the A’s this year…is 0-4 with a 4.57 ERA (21.2 ip, 22 h, 12 r, 11 er, 8 bb, 20 so) in four starts over his last two stints after going 0-2 with a 12.94 ERA in six games, including three starts, over his first stint…was on the A’s Opening Day roster and went 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA in three starts before moving to the bullpen…posted a 16.88 ERA in three relief appearances before he was optioned to Las Vegas on April 25…returned on May 13, started at lost to Texas that day and was optioned back to Triple-A the next day…did not pitch with the Aviators before he was recalled by Oakland on May 20.
0-6: Has started the season 0-6 after beginning the year 0-5 last season… is the first A’s pitcher to start the season 0-6 since Mike Mohler lost each of his first eight decisions in 1997…besides Mohler, the only other pitcher in Oakland history to start his season with a losing streak of more than six games is Matt Keough, who went 0-14 in 1979…the six-game losing streak is a career high…his six losses are tied for sixth most in the majors…went 0-5 with a 5.98 ERA and .853 opponents OPS over his first 10 starts last year from May 1-June 21…then went 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA and .669 OPS over his final 16 starts.
SEVEN INNINGS OR FEWER: Has tossed 7.0 innings or fewer in each of his seven starts this year and has now pitched seven innings or fewer in all 54 of his career starts…that is the longest streak of consecutive starts of seven innings or fewer in Athletics history (previous: 47, Montas, Sept. 25, 2019-April 18, 2022).
OPPONENTS BATTING: Has allowed six of his seven home runs to left-handed hitters and has a 1.104 OPS against left-handed hitters compared to .775 against right-handers…opponents are 15-for-45 (.333) with runners in scoring position, including 4-for-5 (.800) with two walks, a double and two grand slams with the bases loaded…as a starter, he has a .315 (17-for-54) opponents batting average the first time through the order, .296 (16-for-54) the second time and .233 (7-for-30) after that…opponents are 8-for-13 (.615) with a double and three home runs when putting the first pitch in play.
THIS AND THAT: Has a 6.43 ERA (15 er in 21.0 ip) over innings 1-3, a 10.26 ERA (19 er in 16.2 ip) from the fourth inning on…the A’s are 0-7 in his starting assignments and have been shut out three times in his seven starts…left with an 8-5 lead in his first start but the bullpen allowed seven runs for the blown save…left with the lead in five of his starts last year only to have the bullpen blow the save…now has 21 career no decisions as a starter and has left with the lead and was the pitcher of record in 10 of those no decisions.
2023 DAY-BY-DAY: Had a no decision in his first start on April 3 against Cleveland, a 12-11 A’s loss in 10 innings…left with an 8-5 lead but the bullpen blew the save…allowed a season-high seven runs in an 11-0 loss at Tampa Bay on April 9…surrendered a career-high tying three home runs and logged a career-high 106 pitches…walked a career-high seven batters in a 17-6 loss to New York (NL) on April 14…the walks were the most by an A’s pitcher since Sonny Gray also walked seven on May 3, 2015…tossed 3.2 innings, which is a season-low as a starter…was 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA in three starts when he was moved to the bullpen following the start against the Mets…allowed at least five runs in each of those starts to join Todd Van Poppel (1994) as the only pitchers on an Opening Day roster in Oakland history to allow five or more runs in each of their first three starts…tossed a scoreless inning of relief on April 18 against Chicago (AL), but then allowed three runs in 1.0 inning on April 22 at Texas and two in 0.2 innings on April 24 at Los Angeles (AL) and was optioned to Las Vegas on April 25…was recalled on May 13 and struck out a season-high seven in a career-high tying 7.0 innings that day against Texas…allowed three runs and took the loss in a 5-0 decision and was optioned back to Las Vegas the next day…was recalled on May 20 and started and lost in the A’s 2-0 decison the next day at Houston, despite allowing just one run in 5.0 innings…allowed a season-high eight hits in 5.0 innings in a 5-2 loss to Houston May 26 in Oakland.
LAST START: He was the losing pitcher in the A’s 4-2 loss to Atlanta last Wednesday in Oakland…retired 13 of the first 14 batters, allowing just a one out single to Arcia in the third…then allowed three runs in the fifth inning on a two-run home run to Albies and a bases loaded hit by pitch by Riley… was relieved by Lovelady with two outs in the fifth and the A’s trailing 3-0
PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Have won six straight games since falling under .500 (26-27) following their loss on 5/29 (the first time the team was under .500 since 4/2)…Have four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23, their longest winning streak since 2018 (11 games)…Are 0.5 game ahead of the second place Brewers in the National League Central coming into today…Are in sole possession of first place for the first time since 5/11.
RAISE IT: The Pirates bring a six-game winning streak into today (the longest active win streak in MLB)…Pittsburgh’s pitching staff has recorded a 2.83 ERA (54.0ip/17er) during this six game stretch, highlighted by a 1.13 ERA (24.0ip/3er) by the bullpen…The Pirates won a season-high seven straight games earlier this year from April 17-23…The Pirates have not had two winning streaks of at least six games since 2016…A victory tonight would give the team two winning streaks of at least seven games for the first time since 2015.
K IS FOR KELLER: Mitch Keller has struck eight-plus batters in seven consecutive outings, which is the longest streak by a Pirate in the modern era (since 1901)…Prior to Keller, the longest streak had been five by Oliver Perez from June 10-July 2, 2004…The only other pitcher in MLB this season to accomplish at least eight strikeouts in seven or more consecutive games is Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (eight straight from April 1 to May 12).
MITCH AND A.J.: Mitch Keller comes into today ranked second in the National League with 93 strikeouts…He is the first pitcher in club history to amass 90-plus strikeouts prior to June 1…Prior to Keller, the previous high was 89, done by A.J. Burnett in 2013 (89).
SEVEN!, SEVEN!, SEVEN!: Mitch Keller earned his seventh win in his last start Wednesday afternoon against the Giants at Oracle Park (he comes into today tied for the National League lead in that department)…Keller became the first Pirate since Gerrit Cole in 2015 to accumulate seven wins before June 1.
I WANT TO RUN: The Pirates stole three bases last night and have now swiped nine bags in their last five games…Pittsburgh is 21-13 in games when the team records at least one stolen base this season.
WORKING THE COUNT: Last night the Pirates walked a season-high 10 times, which was the most in a game since being issued 11 free passes on September 26, 2021, at Philadelphia…The Bucs are fourth in all of MLB with a 9.5 percent walk rate according to FanGraphs…In addition, Pittsburgh’s 24 percent chase rate is the second-best in all of MLB behind the Dodgers (23.5 percent)…According to TruMedia the league average chase rate is 28 percent.
CLOSING IN ON 2000 HITS: Andrew McCutchen comes into today just three hits shy of 2000 in his career…McCutchen has recorded 1512 of his 1997 hits with the Pirates organization…McCutchen’s 1512 hits with Pittsburgh ranks 12th in team history…Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente is first with 3000 while Tommy Leach is 11th (1603).
KEEPING UP WITH CUTCH’S MILESTONES: Andrew McCutchen is just one double shy of 400 in his career (his next double will also be his 300th as a Pirate)…McCutchen ranks seventh all-time in Pirates history in doubles (Hall-of-Famer Pie Traynor is sixth with 371).
BAE, BAE, BAE: Ji Hwan Bae is hitting at a .370 clip (17-for-46) in his last 15 games… Bae’s .370 average since May 19 ranks fifth in all of MLB behind Luis Arraez (.450), Josh Jung (.403), Whit Merrifield (.383) and Freddie Freeman (.381).
THE HOT CORNER: Ke’Bryan Hayes has hit safely in each of his last five games, going 10-for-20 with a double, triple, home run and seven RBI…Hayes ranks fifth among all National League third basemen in total bases (86) behind Austin Riley (103), Jeimer Candelario (98), Max Muncy (96) and and Nolan Arenado (88).
STARTING PITCHER – 23 – RHP MITCH KELLER
YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO
2023 7-1 3.25 12 12 1 1 74.2 64 31 27 17 93
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his 13th start of the season this evening…He won his fourth straight decision in his last start, allowing four runs in 6.0 innings while also striking out eight batters Wednesday at San Francisco.
VS. OAKLAND: Has never faced the A’s in his career.
