The A’s lifted a burden that had weighed on the franchise for 20 years with their Game 3 victory over the White Sox on Thursday in the American League Wild Card Series, snapping an MLB-longest nine-game losing streak in winner-take-all playoff games. With that pressure alleviated, Oakland must now prepare for what is sure to be an emotional showdown as its AL West rivalry with the Astros takes center stage in the AL Division Series at Dodger Stadium.
The A’s relied heavily on their bullpen against the White Sox after two of their three starters lasted 3 1/3 innings or fewer. Dropping the first game of the AL Wild Card Series, Oakland bounced back with just enough the next two days, receiving contributions up and down the order.
While they didn’t know much about the young, upstart White Sox, the A’s know plenty about their AL West foes. The two clubs played each other 10 times in the 2020 regular season, with Oakland going 7-3 against Houston in a year that saw the A's dethrone the Astros for their first AL West crown since '13. But that head-to-head record does not guarantee anything in October, and the Astros appeared to have their pitching back in order with a two-game sweep of the Twins in their AL Wild Card Series.
Here are five things we learned about the A’s as a result of their AL Wild Card Series victory:
1. The bullpen is for real
There was still some doubt among outsiders about whether the A’s bullpen was as good as its Major League-best 2.72 ERA in the regular season. It may not have been a flawless performance in the AL Wild Card Series, but A’s relievers got the job done when it mattered. Closer Liam Hendriks was picked up in a rough Game 2 outing by left-hander Jake Diekman -- who was dominant in his own right in the regular season. Then Hendriks showed incredible resilience the next day, punching Oakland’s ticket to the ALDS with a dominant three-strikeout ninth to finish Game 3. Yusmeiro Petit, J.B. Wendelken and Joakim Soria each performed well in high-leverage spots against the White Sox, routinely getting out of tough jams.
2. Bassitt the ace
Chris Bassitt unofficially assumed the role of A’s ace over the course of a dominant campaign that saw him finish with the third-lowest ERA (2.29) among AL starters. The right-hander earned that title in his postseason debut, tossing seven shutout innings in a must-win Game 2 against the White Sox, before departing with seven-plus innings of one-run ball. Yes, it is Bassitt -- the pitcher who only began the year in the rotation due to others’ injuries -- who the A’s will count on as their No. 1 starter for the remainder of the postseason.
3. Lamb and Pinder do their best Chapman impersonation
There is just no way the A’s can fully replace the Platinum Glove defense and power in the middle of the order lost when star third baseman Matt Chapman underwent season-ending right hip surgery. But Jake Lamb and Chad Pinder have combined to give Oakland solid production by splitting time at the hot corner.
Lamb made a couple of terrific diving plays on defense during the AL Wild Card Series, while Pinder was one of Game 3’s heroes as his go-ahead two-run single ended up being the game-winning hit. Not having Chapman’s energy and unique skills on display in the postseason is a tough blow for the A’s and any fan who enjoys watching fun baseball, however, Lamb and Pinder have proven to be more than capable of filling his spot in the interim.
“There’s no replacing Matt Chapman,” Pinder said. “Not only on the field, but in the clubhouse. He’s our vocal leader. To replace him on the field and at the plate, you have to go out there and not focus on that. Jake has done nothing but fantastic things at third base and at the plate.
“We wish we had Chappy here, but we have to just focus on playing our role.”
4. Frankie Montas is back
Montas -- Oakland’s Opening Day starter -- pitched himself out of an AL Wild Card Series start after entering a start on the final day of the regular season.
Montas had posted a 10.88 ERA over his previous six outings, but he seemed to recapture his early-season form in that final start against the Mariners. The right-hander struck out a career-high 13 batters and allowed two unearned runs across six dominant innings, putting himself back on the radar for the postseason.
Montas appeared in Game 3 and provided two important middle innings of relief. His only run allowed came on an RBI single by Nomar Mazara that was really just a grounder that found a hole against the A’s defensive shift. The rest of the outing, Montas was filthy, painting both corners of the strike zone with 97-mph fastballs and displaying a power slider that kept hitters off balance.
Entering 2020 expected to be the ace of the staff, the A’s will likely start Montas in one of the first three games of the ALDS.
5. Matt Olson still finding his way on offense
Olson went hitless in nine at-bats over the AL Wild Card Series. Though the first baseman drew some key walks that led to important runs, the A’s will need Olson to improve his production at the plate if they want to get past the Astros. The two-time AL Gold Glove Award winner is a key piece to Oakland’s offense, having led the club in home runs (14) and RBIs (42) during the regular season.