Paul Blackburn was originally signed by Cubs scout Scott Fairbanks…graduated from Heritage High School in Brentwood, Calif…went 8-3 with a 1.27 ERA as a senior and tossed his first career no-hitter against Deer Valley.
2021
Began the season at Triple-A Las Vegas and was 4-7 with a 4.97 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts, when he was selected by Oakland on Aug. 18…spent the balance of the season with the A’s and went 1-4 with a 5.87 ERA in nine starts...Has spent parts of each of the last five seasons with Oakland and his nine starts were the second most of his career (10 in 2017)…had career highs in strikeouts (26), losses (4), runs (26), earned runs (25) and home runs (8) and matched his high in hit batters (2) and wild pitches (1)...Allowed a .319 opponents batting average but walked just 10 batters in 38.1 innings (2.35 walks per nine innings) for a .366 opponents on-base percentage...His opponents batting average broke down to .309 (29-for-94) with an .858 OPS against right.handed hitters compared to .333 (23-for-69) with a .953 OPS against left-handers...Opponents hit .333 with runners in scoring position and he has a .328 career average in that situation...Was 0-1 with a 4.03 ERA and .720 opponents OPS in five starts at home, 1-3 with an 8.44 ERA and 1.115 OPS in four starts on the road…yielded seven of his eight home runs on the road...Was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four starts during the day, 0-3 with an 8.24 ERA in five starts at night...Allowed a .533 batting average to the opponents number nine hitter and .438 average to the seven hitter...The A’s were 3-1 in his no decisions and went 4-5 (.444) in his starting assignments…tossed fewer than six innings in all nine starts, including fewer than five innings four times...His seven losses with the Aviators were his most as a minor leaguer and his .311 opponents batting average was a career high...Surrendered just eight home runs in 88.2 innings, an average of 0.81 per nine innings...His opponents batting average broke down to .300 (61-for-203) with an .824 OPS against left.handed hitters and .323 (53-for-164) with a .776 OPS against right-handers…yielded six of his eight home runs and issued 18 of his 27 walks to lefties...Opponents hit .311 with the bases empty, .311 with runners on…six of the eight home runs he allowed were solo shots...Had a .296 opponents average and allowed one home run the first time through the order, .307 with three home runs the second time and .337 with four home runs after that...Went 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA, .287 opponents batting average and .737 OPS in nine starts at home, 2-4 with a 5.79 ERA, .333 opponent average and .867 OPS on the road...Tossed six innings or fewer in each of his 17 appearances…the Aviators were 5-11 (.313) in his starting assignments.
2020
Was on the A’s Taxi Squad for every road trip except the first and had two stints with Oak.land…was recalled for the first time Aug. 19 but was optioned back to the alternate camp Aug. 24 without pitching…was added as the 29th man for the Sept. 26 doubleheader against Seattle and started game two…allowed seven runs on five hits and two walks in 2.1 innings and was the losing pitcher in the A’s 12-3 loss…was also on the Taxi Squad for the ALWCS and ALDS…was 0-0 with a 9.39 ERA in three games, including two starts, during the spring before he was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas March 7…was added to the A’s 60-man player pool June 29.
2019
Was 0-2 with a 10.64 ERA in four games, including one start, over three stints with Oakland… allowed 19 hits in 11.0 innings for a .380 opponents batting average…yielded a .333 (8-for-24) batting average and .907 OPS against right-handed hitters compared to .423 (11-for-26) with a 1.256 OPS against left-handers…had a .476 opponents average with the bases empty, .310 with runners on…allowed his only inherited runner to score and first batters faced were 2-for-3 (.667)…opponents were 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts with him on the mound after going 4-for9 (44.4%) over his first two seasons…did not commit an error in five chances and has not made an error in 20 games and 14 chances in his career…was recalled for the first time June 8 as the 26th man for the doubleheader at Texas and started the day game…allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in 3.0 innings and took the loss in a 10-5 decision…returned to Las Vegas following the game…did not pitch during his second stint with Oakland on July 5…recalled for a third time when rosters expanded on Sept. 1 and had a loss and a 9.00 ERA in three September relief appearances…they were the first relief appearances of his career after 17 starts…allowed at least one run in all four of his outings…including Sept. 9 at Houston when he yielded six runs on eight hits in five innings of relief in the A's 15-0 loss.
LAS VEGAS: Went 11-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 24 games, including 22 starts, with Las Vegas and was named Most Valuable Pitcher on the Aviators…led the Pacific Coast League in winning percentage (.786), tied for second in wins, ranked fourth in ERA, seventh in opponents batting average (.265) and eighth in innings pitched (132.2)…was named to the PCL Midseason All-Star Team… led the A's farm system in wins and winning percentage, ranked sixth in innings pitched, seventh in ERA and opponents batting average and tied for eighth in games started…had minor league career highs in wins, runs (70), earned runs (64) and home runs (18)…his opponents batting average broke down to .265 (59-for-223) with a .759 OPS against left-handed hitters compared to .266 (74-for-278) with a .747 OPS against right-handers…his career splits are .256 against lefties, .255 against righties…opponents hit .292 with runners in scoring position but they were 0-for-7 with the bases loaded…yielded a .313 average to batters leading off an inning…was 7-2 with a 5.04 ERA in 16 games before the All-Star Break…then went 4-1 with a 3.06 ERA in eight games after the break…was 5-0 with a 2.31 ERA and .206 opponents batting average in six starts following an Aviators loss…struck out a career-high-tying eight batters and logged a season-high 98 pitches in 5.0 innings in his first start on April 6, a 12-5 win at El Paso…then tossed a season-high 7.0 innings April 11 against Las Vegas, his first of six outings of exactly seven innings…was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA over his first three starts but then yielded eight runs on eight hits in a season-low 2.0 innings in a 15-7 loss to El Paso on April 24…followed that up by tossing 6.0 scoreless innings on April 29 for the win at Round Rock (3 h, 0 bb, 4 so)…that began a season-high five-game winning streak that ran through June 25…compiled a 4.94 ERA and .260 opponents batting average during the streak, which spanned 10 starts…issued a season-high four walks May 10 against Salt Lake…matched his career-high with eight strikeouts June 2 at Sacramento…was 6-1 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts when he was recalled by Oakland June 8 as the 26th man for a doubleheader that day at Texas…was returned to Las Vegas following the game and went 5-2 with a 4.18 ERA over his final 13 games…allowed a career-high 10 runs on a career-high tying 11 hits in 4.1 innings against Sacramento on June 20 but had a no decision in an 11-10 Aviators win…was 2-0 despite a 7.18 ERA and .318 opponents batting average in five starts in June…then went 1-2 with a 2.42 ERA in four games in July, which was his lowest single-month ERA in 2019…made his first relief appearance of the season July 6 at Albuquerque after Parker Dunshee lasted just one inning…took the loss that day to begin his only losing streak of the season…went 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA over a three-game stretch from July 6 to 21…had scoreless outings on July 16 at Tacoma (7.0 ip), July 28 at El Paso (7.0 ip) and Aug. 9 at Iowa (7.0 ip)…went 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA over his final six games beginning July 28…walked just four batters in 35.0 innings (1.03 per nine innings)… yielding just one run in 4.1 innings in his second relief appearance Aug. 15 against Albuquerque… allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings in his final start on Aug. 26 at Albuquerque but had a no-decision in an 8-7 loss…was 3-0 with a 3.54 ERA in five games in August…did not pitch during the postseason as he was recalled by Oakland when rosters expanded on Sept. 1.
2018
Was limited to just six starts with Oakland due to two stints on the disabled list…began the season on the DL with a strained right forearm, went 2-3 with a 7.16 ERA in six starts from June 7 to July 6 and then missed the remainder of the season with right elbow lateral epicondylitis… walked six batters in 27.2 innings, an average of 1.95 per nine innings…allowed a .303 opponents batting average, including .283 (13-for-46) against right-handed hitters compared to .317 (20-for-63) against left-handers…issued just one walk to a batter leading off an inning but allowed a .300 batting average in that situation…had a .327 opponents average the first time through the lineup, .222 the second time and .467 after that…yielded a .225 batting average and both of his home runs with the bases empty, .447 with runners on…had a .375 opponents average with runners in scoring position…was 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA in three starts at home, 0-2 with an 8.36 ERA in three starts on the road…began the season on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right forearm…was transferred to the 60-day DL April 5 and was sent to Single-A Stockton on a rehab assignment May 31…started that day against Modesto and had a no decision in the Ports 6-3 win (3.2 ip, 8 h, 3 r, 3 er, 1 bb, 1 so, 62 pitches)…was reinstated from the DL June 7 and allowed one run in 6.0 innings for the win that day against Kansas City…then went 0-2 with a 12.71 ERA over his next three starts from June 13 to 24…it was the first losing streak of his career…allowed a career-high eight runs in a career-low 1.1 innings in a 13-5 loss to Houston on June 13…tossed 6.1 shutout innings for the win on June 29 against Cleveland…struck out a career-high five batters against the Indians, ending a career-opening streak of 14 consecutive starts of four strikeouts or fewer and more than one inning pitched…that was the longest such streak by an A's pitcher in 86 years (21, Tony Freitas, May 31-Sept. 18, 1932)…allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings for the loss July 6 at Cleveland in his final appearance of the season…was placed on the DL July 8 retroactive to July 7.
2017
Made both his Triple-A and Major League debuts in 2017…spent the first three months of the season at Nashville where he went 5-6 with a 3.05 ERA in 15 games, including 14 starts…was promoted to Oakland July 1 and compiled a 3-1 record and a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts before a right hand contusion ended his season Aug. 23…struck out just 22 batters in 58.2 innings with the A's, an average of 3.38 per nine innings…that was the lowest mark in the majors among pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched…it was second lowest by an A's pitcher over the last 27 years (Saarloos, 2.99 in 2005)…went 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and .212 opponents batting average over his first five starts through July 26…then went 2-0 despite a 4.39 ERA and .315 opponents average over his final five starts…allowed a .262 opponents batting average, including .225 (23-for-102) against left-handed hitters compared to .294 (35-for-119) against right-handers…yielded four of his five home runs to righties but issued 11 of his 16 walks to lefties…had a .585 OPS against lefties, .773 against righties…was 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA and .222 opponents batting average in five starts on the road compared to 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA and .301 opponents average in five starts at home…logged a 1.50 ERA over the first three innings of a game, a 5.02 ERA from the fourth inning on…opponents hit .133 with runners in scoring position and two outs…had a .212 opponents average the first time through the lineup, .294 after that…was 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in five starts on four days rest, 0-1 with a 3.67 ERA in five starts on five days rest or more…allowed one run or fewer in five of his 10 starts and four runs or more four times…the A's were 6-4 (.600) in his starting assignments.
OAKLAND: Made his Major League debut July 1 against Atlanta and had a no decision in the A's 4-3 loss…allowed just one unearned run in 6.0 innings of work and retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced…tossed a career-high 7.2 innings and allowed one run in the A's 7-4 victory at Seattle July 6 to earn his first ML win…walked one batter in each outing to become the first Athletics pitcher since at least 1913 to toss six or more innings, allow one run or fewer and walk one batter or fewer in each of his first two games…is the eighth Major Leaguer to do it…was charged with his first loss in a 7-5 decision at New York (NL) July 21…tossed seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits July 26 at Toronto but had a no decision in the A's 3-2 loss…left after seven innings with a 2-0 lead but Casilla allowed three runs in the ninth for the blown save and loss… combined with Dull, Casilla and Treinen on a six-hit shutout in the A's 5-0 win at Los Angeles (AL) Aug. 5…tossed 6.2 innings and yielded five of the hits…did not walk a batter for the first time in his career…tossed 4.0 innings Aug. 16 against Kansas City to snap a career-opening streak of eight consecutive games of more than five innings pitched…that was the second longest such streak in Oakland history to Willie Adams, who had a 10-game streak in 1996…tossed 4.0 scoreless innings in his final start Aug. 22 at Baltimore and left the game early with a right hand contusion…was placed on the 10-day disabled list Aug. 25 retroactive to Aug. 23 and missed the remainder of the season…was transferred to the 60-day DL Sept. 5.
NASHVILLE: Ranked second in the Pacific Coast League in ERA (3.05) and fourth in opponents batting average (.231) when he was promoted to Oakland July 1…was named to the PCL Midseason All-Star team…went 4-2 with a 1.84 ERA over his last eight starts after going 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA over his first seven games (six starts)…his opponents batting average included a .216 (33- for-153) mark against right-handed hitters compared to .247 (36-for-146) against left-handers… lefties had 24 of the 32 RBI against him…allowed a .321 batting average with runners in scoring position, including .400 with RISP and two outs…was 3-4 with a 3.80 ERA and .269 opponents batting average in nine games at home, 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA and .177 opponents average in six starts on the road…surrendered five of his six home runs at home…was 4-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 11 games at night, 1-3 with a 4.30 ERA in four starts during the day…compiled a 3.95 ERA over the first three innings of the game, a 2.09 ERA from the fourth inning on…struck out a seasonhigh eight batters in back-to-back starts on April 15 against Colorado Springs and April 21 at Oklahoma City…picked up his first win April 28 against New Orleans and went 1-2 despite a 1.64 ERA and .195 opponents batting average in four starts in April…made his only relief appearance on May 8 against El Paso in a game started by Daniel Mengden on a rehab assignment…allowed three runs on four hits and two walks in 4.0 innings…put together consecutive wins for the only time on May 19 at Sacramento and May 24 against Omaha…tossed 6.0 scoreless innings against the River Cats (2 h, 2 bb, 4 so) and 7.0 scoreless innings against the Storm Chasers (5 h, 2 bb, 6 so) as part of a 14.0-inning scoreless streak from May 19 to 29…had the scoreless streak snapped when he allowed a season-high tying six runs on a season-high 10 hits in 5.0 innings on May 29 against Colorado springs…finished May 2-3 with a 5.12 ERA in six games…threw a season-high 100 pitches June 9 against Memphis…walked a season-high four batters June 15 against Iowa… started the second game of a June 20 doubleheader against New Orleans and pitched a seasonlow 2.0 innings…compiled a 2-1 record and a 1.75 ERA in five starts in June.
2016
Began the season at Double-A Tennessee in the Chicago Cubs organization and was 6-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 18 starts when he was traded to the Seattle Mariners organization July 20…was assigned to Double-A Jackson and went 3-1 with a 3.54 ERA in eight games (seven starts) with the Generals…combined for a 9-5 record and a 3.28 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) overall…surrendered just eight home runs in 143.0 innings, an average of 0.50 per nine innings…ranked fourth in the Southern League in fewest walks per nine innings (2.12), tied for fourth in games started, sixth in ERA and innings pitched and tied for eighth in wins…tied for the lead among SL pitchers with 40 total chances…was named to the SL Midseason All-Star Game after going 4-2 with a 2.53 ERA in 14 starts before the All-Star Break…went 5-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) after the break…allowed a .256 opponents batting average, including .252 (69-for-274) against right-handed pitchers compared to .259 (69-for-266) against left-handers…opponents hit .217 with runners in scoring position…combined for a 3-2 record and a 4.50 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) in his home ballparks…was 6-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 12 starts on the road…went 1-for- 15 (.067) with two strikeouts as a hitter with Jackson.
