CHICAGO -- For the Athletics to break out of this dreadful stretch they’ve been on, it was going to require a pitching performance like they got on Saturday afternoon.
Electric rookie Gage Jump set the tone by holding the White Sox scoreless through the first five innings and departed after 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts. The A’s bullpen duo of Luis Medina and Hogan Harris proceeded to end the game with a combined 2 1/3 hitless innings.
That still wasn’t enough.
While the pitching was on point for the A’s, a slumping offense failed to produce a single run in a 1-0 loss to the White Sox at Rate Field, pushing the club’s season-worst losing streak to eight games.
It wasn’t for lack of opportunities. The A’s were unable to score in the sixth or seventh despite having runners on first and second with no outs both times. In the eighth, Jacob Wilson raced around the bases on a ball into the right-field corner for a triple, only to later be stranded as the middle of the order went down in order.
Yes, the A’s are dealing with a laundry list of injuries on the offensive front at the moment. The latest blow was perhaps the most painful, as All-Star first baseman Nick Kurtz was placed on the injured list before Saturday’s game with a right thumb capsule sprain. But even with several key players out, the A’s still believe they have an offense plenty capable of putting up more than the five combined runs they’ve scored in the past five games.
"Offensively, guys are really just grinding,” manager Mark Kotsay said. “You talk about guys just squeezing the dust out of the bat. It’s definitely not a lack of effort. We’re just trying really hard.
“At some point, guys just have to take a deep breath and realize we have a long season left. Today was that example. We had chances. … We left our opportunities out there. Again, offensively, it’s been a challenge for us.”
Though he’ll carry a tough-luck loss on his record, Jump will head into the All-Star break on a high note with a strong finish to his first taste of big league action. The 23-year-old left-hander bounced back from a pair of rough outings against the Dodgers and Marlins last week with a start more fitting of what the A’s have seen from him. His fastball maxed out at 99 mph and accounted for nine of his 14 whiffs. He also showed poise in tough spots, keeping the White Sox off the board in the third and fifth after leadoff doubles in both innings.
“His start today was excellent,” Kotsay said. “We’ve seen a few of these starts from Gage. Again, this is his first year of going out and pitching here in the big leagues. I thought today was an example of making some corrections and some adjustments. Going out and attacking the zone.”
Jump, who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 26, finishes his first half in the big leagues posting a 3.51 ERA in nine starts, with 48 strikeouts across 48 2/3 innings.
“He’s shown the ability to pitch here and be successful, which is a great sign for a young starter,” Kotsay said. “It doesn’t always happen [that fast]. For him to go into the break with this type of start, there should be a lot of excitement about his second half.”
Jump looks forward to heading back home to Southern California and getting his mind off baseball for a few days. At the same time, he’ll admittedly be anxious to return to the mound, keeping his goals for the second half simple.
“Hopefully, make every start,” Jump said. “Stay healthy and try to win every game that I pitch.”