OAKLAND -- Rounding first base as he watched the ball he tagged 103.6 mph off the bat clear the Coliseum’s wall in straightaway center, Josh Harrison turned his head to the side and pointed towards the A’s dugout with a huge smile. He then waved his left hand to signal “Ride the Wave,” the A’s team motto for 2021, and bashed forearms with Matt Olson upon his return to home plate.
It was only a few days ago that Harrison was scrambling to pack his bags and board a flight from Washington D.C. to Anaheim, where he joined the A’s after being traded over from the Nationals. Though he’s only been a member of the A’s for less than a week, you wouldn’t know it based on that interaction following his two-run homer in the fifth inning of Saturday’s 12-3 rout of the Rangers.
For Harrison, the two-run shot was his first homer and RBIs with his new club. As for the huge grin on his face, that was the result of him calling his own shot. Unable to bring home a run earlier during what ended up a seven-run third inning for the A’s -- their highest-scoring inning during a game this season -- Harrison said he jokingly predicted that his first run driven in would come on a home run to center.
“I was talking to the guys after I flew out with runners at second and third with no outs and told them, ‘I’m gonna get an RBI one of these days, guys. I’m gonna be part of the team,’” Harrison said. “As soon as I hit it, I just looked in the dugout. I told Sean Manaea and a few guys that I would do that. When I hit it, they said I could do the 'Ride the Wave.' So when I was rounding, I pointed at them like, ‘Told you I was gonna hit it to center field.’”
Harrison’s transition to the A’s has been seamless. The same goes for catcher Yan Gomes, whom the A’s acquired along with Harrison in the same trade with Washington, and Starling Marte, who hasn’t been around much longer than those two after arriving via trade from the Marlins on July 28. Made comfortable in new surroundings by an A’s clubhouse that has often been lauded for tremendous chemistry, the three newcomers are fitting in perfectly. They’re also producing.
On Saturday, Harrison, Gomes and Marte led an offensive onslaught for Oakland, combining forces for seven of the A’s 16 hits with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs.
“The expectations are always there for them to produce,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Fitting in with a new team, at times, can be difficult. When you’re productive right away, it’s easy to fit in. We’ve got a pretty welcoming group here, as well. Everything is going pretty smoothly with these guys feeling like they’re part of the team. They’re all good pickups, at this point.”
Over the past two decades, Billy Beane and his front office have pulled off numerous bold midseason trades in various efforts to boost the A’s chances of making a deep playoff run. Time will tell where the 2021 Deadline acquisitions rank in that lore. So far, each has provided a tremendous upgrade at his respective position.
Adding another two-hit day with his sixth stolen base since joining Oakland, Marte matched Dave Collins (1985) for the most stolen bases within a player’s first eight games played for the A’s. His double in the third also drove home Oakland’s first run of the day and sparked the lopsided inning.
In addition to Saturday's timely hitting, Harrison has also displayed his versatility by appearing at second base, third base and left field in his five games played with the A’s.
Gomes, who led the A’s with four RBIs on Saturday with an RBI double in the third and three-run homer in the fourth, has put together some clutch at-bats in big moments since coming over. In his five games with Oakland, the veteran is hitting .294 with two homers and eight RBIs. He’s also received heavy praise from A’s pitchers for his work behind the plate.
On an afternoon that saw A’s starter Cole Irvin ambushed in the first for two quick runs, Gomes helped the left-hander right the ship. By day’s end, the two first-inning runs were the only runs Irvin would allow as he went seven innings and retired 19 of his final 22 batters faced.
“I loved working with Yan today,” Irvin said. “That was a lot of fun. He’s a veteran for a reason and you’re glad to have him by your side. [Josh], I’ve spent a little time with him in Spring Training. Starling, I’ve played across from him and he’s a stud. We got the right pieces and feel pretty good about where we’re at.”
Where they’re at in the standings is pretty desirable. Now having won seven of their last nine games, the A’s maintain hold of the second American League Wild Card. Even the AL West is returning to within striking distance, with Saturday’s win temporarily bringing them to within 2 1/2 games of the Astros.
“It shows how quickly things can change,” Harrison said. “I got traded here and it’s definitely a different position in the standings. But there’s still two months to go, so I don’t want to look at it like the work is done. While we may be in the top of the Wild Card, the division is not out of hand for us. We’re in a good spot and we control our fate.”