Game Thread #36: Oakland A’s vs. San Diego Padres

The Oakland A’s took the field Friday night, but they appeared completely overmatched in their return to action after nearly a week off. The San Diego Padres crushed them 7-0, shutting down Oakland’s lineup and scoring plenty off their pitching staff.

The A’s will give it another go on Saturday, this time behind Sean Manaea. Friday’s game was eerily similar to a normal 2020 Manaea start, with a few dominant innings followed by trouble in the middle frames during the second and third times through the order. However, Manaea has improved his own fortunes in those key 4th/5th innings recently, and the lefty will get a premium opportunity to prove himself against the highest-scoring club in the majors.

Meanwhile, Oakland’s lineup will deal with Padres starter Chris Paddack. The right-hander burst onto the scene last summer with a low ERA and high strikeout rate, and he’s still fanning a batter per inning so far this year. However, he’s also been more hittable, allowing 10 homers in just over 40 innings (one for every 17.6 plate appearances), which plays right into the A’s wheelhouse. It would be statistically unusual if they didn’t homer at least once against Paddack, with the only question being whether they can avoid piling up strikeouts along the way and put someone on base ahead of the inevitable dinger(s).

But the real story of this game for A’s fans is that Jorge Mateo is in the lineup for San Diego. Finally, we get a glimpse of the prospect who never made it to Oakland — at the plate, at least. He’s the DH, so we won’t see him on defense.

First pitch is 1:07 p.m., with the following options to watch or listen:

• TV: NBC Sports California
• Radio: 960 AM
• Online video stream: fuboTV
• Online audio stream: iHeartRadio

A’s lineup (home)

1. CF Ramon Laureano (R)
2. 2B Tommy La Stella (L)
3. 3B Matt Chapman (R)
4. DH Mark Canha (R)
5. 1B Matt Olson (L)
6. LF Robbie Grossman (S)
7. RF Stephen Piscotty (R)
8. SS Vimael Machin (L)
9. C Jonah Heim (S)

• Sean Manaea, LHP

Still no Semien, but Machin earned another look at shortstop (despite committing an error last night).

Padres lineup (away)

1. SS Fernando Tatis Jr (R)
2. 3B Manny Machado (R)
3. 1B Eric Hosmer (L)
4. C Austin Nola (R)
5. RF Wil Myers (R)
6. 2B Jake Cronenworth (L)
7. DH Jorge Mateo (R)
8. LF Jurickson Profar (S)
9. CF Trent Grisham (L)

• Chris Paddack, RHP

Mateo and Profar back-to-back triggers the Spidey sense of every Oakland fan, in terms of the Curse of the Former A’s.

Let’s Go Oakland!