Early homer costly, but Perkins shows promise in first start of season

HOUSTON -- One pitch. That’s all Jack Perkins could say about his first start of the season: It came down to one pitch.

Perkins pitched into the fifth inning and struck out six in the Athletics’ 5-1 loss to the Astros on Friday night at Daikin Park, but the one pitch to Isaac Paredes in the first – which resulted in a three-run home run – was what the right-hander wished he could have back.

Perkins yielded five runs on five hits with two walks in four-plus innings (including one batter in the fifth).

“For Jack, [it was] one bad pitch to Paredes in the first,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “Outside of that, I thought he did a great job. We misplayed a ball in right field that ended up costing him two runs as well. The outcome isn’t great. The line doesn’t look good, but overall, outside the first inning, I thought he did a nice job.”

Perkins gave up all five runs in the first and third innings. He settled down to retire six straight batters, including four consecutive by strikeout, after the homer to Paredes in the first.

“One mistake really, I feel like actually hurt, but outside of that, I feel like I threw a lot of competitive pitches,” Perkins said. “My whole goal today getting back into a starters’ mindset was to compete at a high level. I feel like I did that.

“Unfortunately, right now things don’t seem to be going my way with the way the balls are falling in there. One mistake there to Paredes I wish I could have back, but outside of that, I feel like I competed at a high level. We’ll go back to the drawing board tomorrow and make adjustments and see what we can do to get better.”

Perkins threw 32 sweepers and 26 four-seam fastballs out of his 75 pitches.

“Those have always been my bread and butter,” Perkins said. “I’m starting to implement the changeup, the cutter gyro that I kind of have going on. I think that’s part of starting is starting to read hitters a little better and being a little more fine with certain guys so those mistakes don’t happen, but the sweeper and four-seam feel good.”

He had success with both pitches, with the Astros missing on eight of 19 swings and striking out twice on sweepers and whiffing three times out of 14 swings with three strikeouts on the fastball. He finished with 13 whiffs out of 41 swings.

Kotsay said Perkins has “plus stuff” and “is capable of getting swings and misses.”

“I’ve done a great job [of attacking the zone] all year this year,” Perkins said. “The knock in the past has been command and being in the zone. This year I feel like I’m doing a great job of competing on that front. Now, I think it’s just that I need to make some adjustments usage-wise or execution-wise to limit some of these hits that have been happening.”

Perkins began the season in the bullpen, posting a 2-2 record with a 5.46 ERA in 17 appearances. He started four games for the A’s last season – all in August – and went 3-1 with a 5.68 ERA in those outings before ending the season on the injured list with a strained right shoulder.

Offensively, the A’s had their chances, but they stranded the bases loaded in the second and left runners on second and third in the sixth. Brent Rooker hit a solo home run to left that just made it inside the foul pole in the sixth for the lone A’s run.

Kotsay said Perkins will get another start after the outing Friday. Perkins said he feels he’s in a good spot health-wise and likes the success he’s having with his pitches, but he has to build his confidence.

“I just have to keep going,” he said. “I think baseball is a game of failure, and it comes with a lot of ebbs and flows. Right now I’m in one of those valleys with things just not going my way. I feel like the tide’s going to turn relatively soon, and I feel good about it. Just continue to build confidence, continue to trust the process and hopefully, have more success here in the future.”