The A’s had the bases loaded with just one out in the bottom of the sixth inning on Thursday night. Matt Chapman stood at the plate, facing a 2-1 count.
Detroit Tigers righty Alex Lange came set and delivered, prompting Chapman to rocket his hands from one side of his head to the other, his bat whipping through the strike zone to meet a 95 mile-per-hour fastball that lasered toward him middle-in, turning the pitch into a 106 mph line drive that caromed off the base of the left-field wall, allowing two Oakland runs to score.
Chapman’s hit was a significant part of the A’s 8-4 victory on Thursday to win their fifth straight game. But his bat connecting with the ball was hardly the most significant impact of that inning. That came on the A’s six walks in the bottom of the sixth against Detroit, two of which came with the bases loaded.
According to some of the A’s players and manager Bob Melvin, those free passes were a marker of their offensive identity.
“I think you realize what we’re capable of when we put together good at-bats and we’re selective and don’t try to do too much,” outfielder Mark Canha said.
In total, the A’s drew an outrageous 12 walks on Thursday. An argument can be made that it was simply a byproduct of facing an extremely inexperienced Detroit pitching staff: Only one Tigers pitcher who appeared on Thursday was older than 26.
But Oakland’s free-pass fest can also be categorized as the latest impressive showing from a potent offense that has allowed the A’s to win their last five games and six of their last seven after starting the season 0-6, the franchise’s worst record to open a year since 1916.
“This is what we do,” Melvin said.
The A’s have not been completely flawless offensively. On Thursday they struggled to capitalize early, stranding six men on base in the third and fourth innings. In their 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, the A’s recorded just one baserunner between the third and sixth inning and left five on base in the first three frames combined.
Yet Oakland managed to come away with victories in both games and has scored at least six runs in each of their last five. Leaving runners on base and missing opportunities is certainly a habit worth avoiding but the A’s have managed their way around it.
“We make you work,” Melvin said. “We make you work and make you work and then finally come through with some big hits.”
Looking at the A’s offensive numbers on the year as a whole can be deceiving. They still rank No. 14 of 15 American League teams in batting average and find themselves in the middle of the pack in nearly every other offensive category other than stolen bases, an area that has been almost entirely propelled by center fielder Ramon Laureano, who’s stolen an MLB-best eight bags this year.
Zoom in on the A’s five-game win streak, though, and their offensive firepower becomes much clearer. Since April 9, Oakland has outscored opponents 37-19, averaging 7.4 runs per game.
Whether it’s Canha, first baseman Matt Olson or Laureano, a host of A’s hitters have contributed to their recent offensive success. However, none has made his presence felt quite like second baseman Jed Lowrie, who, at 36 years old, leads the team in batting average, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and hits.
Lowrie’s performance has left his manager speechless.
“I don’t know what to say anymore,” Melvin said. “He’s having a great year. He’s getting big hits and driving in runs. He’s just the Jed of old. He’s as productive as he’s ever been.”
According to A’s players and coaches, Lowrie has been instrumental in guiding the team on and off the field. On it, his guidance is obvious. It was present in the form of his game-tying home run against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, the spark which eventually lifted his team to victory. It has been present in his five-game multi-base-hit streak, tied for the longest in his 13-year career.
Those 13 years have provided the foundation for Lowrie to lead off the field where he’s become a mentor to some of the A’s most important players.
“I pick his brain all the time for hitting stuff,” Canha said. “I ask him questions and try to learn what I can from him, because he’s a great baseball mind, especially when it comes to hitting. He’s an awesome presence in the clubhouse.”
On Thursday the A’s also saw some positive signs that third baseman Matt Chapman could be returning to form. The 27-year-old owned a measly .184 batting average through Oakland’s first 13 games. While he went just 1-for-5 against Detroit on Thursday, his lone hit came on a double that bounced off the base of the left-field wall to cap off a four-run bottom of the sixth inning.
“We’ve seen him come through so often,” Melvin said of Chapman. “He’s still trying to get his mechanics where they were before, but at that point in time that’s a huge hit in the course of the game for us to drive in a couple runs there, probably the biggest hit at the time. When we needed him, he showed up big, and my guess is he’s going to do a lot more of that before the season’s over.”
The A’s have become acutely aware of their potential at the plate. On Thursday they showed that off in the form of free passes. On Tuesday it was multiple late-game home runs. Melvin thinks his team has hit its stride.
“We hit some homers and draw walks to keep putting pressure on until we get big hits,” Melvin said. “Our offensive numbers were terrible for a while, and now, across the board, we’re getting great at-bats.”
