OAKLAND -- There was a palpable excitement amongst A’s players and coaches on Monday afternoon. That’s because, for the first time in 310 days, their All-Star was finally taking the mound again at the Coliseum.
Leading the A’s onto the field for his first start at the Coliseum since July 24, 2022, and first Major League outing since Aug. 4, 2022, Paul Blackburn took a deep breath while his walkout song -- “WHO? WHAT!” by Travis Scott -- blared over the stadium speakers before firing his first warmup pitch to catcher Shea Langeliers.
“A lot of emotions from just being able to be back here,” Blackburn said. “I feel like I haven’t been with these guys at all this year. I’m trying to build relationships while being out there and competing. Giving us the best to chance to win.”
Blackburn did that by helping the A’s snap a season-high 11-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory over the Braves. Making his season debut after being sidelined since Spring Training due to nail and blister issues on his right middle finger, Blackburn limited a potent Atlanta offense to one run on four hits and two walks while striking out six over four innings.
“I think it went well,” Blackburn said. “There are things throughout that outing that I felt like I could do better. All in all, I can’t complain about how it went. I haven’t been in a game in 10 months. To get out there and pitch well and build momentum, I’m pretty happy with it.”
Blackburn threw 51 of his 81 pitches for strikes, showcasing a mix of six different pitches that helped him generate mostly weak contact throughout the evening. Departing in a 1-0 deficit, the A’s took him off the hook in the fifth with a four-run rally highlighted by Ryan Noda’s three-run shot to right.
“It’s huge,” Noda said of Blackburn’s return. “All-Star, right? He’s one of the leaders in the clubhouse. Last couple of days, it’s been good to see him and talk to him. He pitched his heart out there. Glad to have him back. Hopefully, he’ll keep having some good starts for us.”
There was cause for concern in the third when A’s manager Mark Kotsay and a team trainer went out to check on the right-hander for another blister that crept up during the start, though neither Kotsay nor Blackburn believe the issue will prevent him from making his next scheduled start on Sunday against the Marlins in Miami.
Given the struggles from an A’s starting rotation that entered Monday carrying the highest ERA and fourth-fewest innings pitched in the Majors, Blackburn’s return is an important development. He provides stability, and the 29-year-old’s big league experience compared to the other four starters in Oakland’s rotation makes him a resource in the clubhouse for the younger pitchers.
“Any time you get a player who has had success and has been an All-Star back on your roster, it definitely feels good,” Kotsay said. “It should give you a boost of confidence when he’s going out there.”
Blackburn evolved into Oakland’s ace last season. He held opposing teams to two runs or fewer in 11 of his first 18 starts of 2022, including six scoreless outings. His 3.62 ERA over that stretch was enough to earn him his first career All-Star nod. Post-All-Star break, however, his performance began to diminish. On Aug. 10, after visiting a hand specialist, Blackburn was diagnosed with a tear of the flexor tendon sheath in his right hand and was shut down for the remainder of the season.
Now healthy, there is some motivation for Blackburn to go out and prove his first half of 2022 was no fluke. For now, he’s content with having played a role in stopping what was a miserable streak for the A’s in his first start back.
“Everyone knows the year we’ve been having here,” Blackburn said. “For us, inside these walls, it’s just focus on winning one game. Winning the day. It’s easier said than done. When you’re on a losing streak, it feels like nothing goes right for you. Everything kind of piles up and is against you. For us, now we’re on a winning streak. We’ve won one game in a row, so build off that and come in tomorrow with the same type of energy.”