Game #81: A’s lose game, series, star pitcher, and first half of season

Things somehow keep getting worse for the Oakland A’s.

They lost again on Sunday, by a 2-1 margin to the Seattle Mariners, but that’s barely a footnote at this point, more of a daily expectation. This afternoon added injury to insult.

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They mustered just one run on four hits, which is a typical output for this lineup. They lost the series at T-Mobile Park, three outta four. And at the halfway point of the season, they’re still last place in the entire majors with a 26-55 record, still on pace for the worst campaign in Oakland history. But none of that is news.

What made today especially bad was that starting pitcher Frankie Montas got hurt. He exited the game after one inning, and you can click here for details. The initial prognosis is optimistic, simply day-to-day with shoulder soreness and inflammation, but it’s still an injury for him to deal with and for us to worry about. He’s one of the best players on the team, and their biggest trade chip at the upcoming deadline, and he’s a huge fan favorite, making this a bummer for all kinds of different reasons.

Anyway, as for the game, Montas allowed a run, then the bullpen stepped up for seven brilliant innings with just one more run scoring. However, the A’s only scored once themselves, on a solo homer by Elvis Andrus.

That is all.