Game Thread #6: Oakland A’s vs. Colorado Rockies

The Oakland A’s dropped a dud on Tuesday in their first game against the Colorado Rockies, but one beauty of baseball is its everyday nature. When you lose, you only need to wait 24 hours to forget about it and redeem yourself.

In this case, the A’s and Rockies didn’t even need to wait the full 24. After Tuesday night’s affair at the Coliseum, the two sides are right back at it Wednesday afternoon, with first pitch around 15 hours after the end of the Rockies 8-3 victory in the opener. That’ll be it for brief their two-game set.

On paper, this should be the good game of the series. Frankie Montas and German Marquez are both All-Star caliber starters, even if neither has quite earned a midsummer berth in their careers yet. They each rack up strikeouts and bring upper-90s heat with their fastballs. Montas was better last year before he was popped for PEDs, but Marquez went on to pitch a mostly full season.

The mound isn’t the only position where there are two evenly matched, eerily similar players on either side. Third basemen Matt Chapman and Nolan Areando fit that description as well.

First pitch is 12:40 p.m., with the TV broadcast on NBC Sports California, and the audio stream online at A’s Cast.

A’s lineup (home)

1. SS Marcus Semien (R)
2. DH Ramon Laureano (R)
3. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
4. 1B Matt Olson (L)
5. CF Mark Canha (R)
6. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
7. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
8. 2B Vimael Machin (L)
9. C Sean Murphy (R)

• Frankie Montas, RHP

Khris Davis gets a day off after going 0-for-15 so far this year, and leaving nine men on base last night. That makes room for all four of the main outfielders for a day. Machin gets the nod at 2B for the first time (he DH’d once), and Murphy is back in behind the plate after a day off Tuesday.

On the pitching side, we might see Jesus Luzardo today. But only if Montas needs the help.

Rockies lineup (away)

1. CF David Dahl (L)
2. SS Trevor Story (R)
3. RF Charlie Blackmon (L)
4. 3B Nolan Arenado (R)
5. DH Daniel Murphy (L)
6. 1B Ryan McMahon (L)
7. LF Sam Hilliard (L)
8. 2B Garrett Hampson (R)
9. C Tony Wolters (L)

• German Marquez, RHP

Raimel Tapia sits down, with top prospect Garrett Hampson getting the nod, and some shifting of defensive positions to foster that indirect switch of removing a LF and replacing him with a 2B.

Let’s Go Oakland!