Red-hot Red Sox steam roll A’s in series opener

The Oakland A’s continued their post-All-Star winless streak as they got shut out 7-0 by the Boston Red Sox pitching staff.

Speaking of All-Stars, the A’s 2022 representative Paul Blackburn started the series opener hoping to break the team’s seven-game losing streak. It feels like the tenth time I’ve written that sentence this season but honestly, if the team actually had a double-digit number of losing streaks this season, I wouldn’t be surprised.

It was realized early that Blackburn didn’t have his best stuff today. In back-to-back innings to start the game, the righty allowed a leadoff double that eventually crossed home plate. He was able to settle down a bit for the next three innings but things completely unraveled for him in the 6th inning, in which he allowed four hits and a walk. Amidst the barrage of baserunners, he was able to secure a couple of outs but Mark Kotsay took him out to avoid any more damage to his ERA.

On the offensive end, the A’s were somehow much worse. A late announcement that Brennan Bernardino would be opening for Nick Pivetta must have majorly thrown the team off because the batters were incapable of putting any threats on base. After Bernandino struck out two and allowed just one hit in the first couple of innings, Pivetta completely steamrolled the A’s lineup, throwing seven innings of no-hit ball and striking out a whopping thirteen batters. Every A’s starting position player caught a K, including fresh rookies Zack Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom.

On the bright side, reliever Sam Moll rebounded from a few bad July innings, striking out 2 and allowing zero baserunners in 1 ²⁄₃ innings. His performance leading up to the trade deadline will be closely watched as he may be the A’s most valuable trade chip.

The Soderstrom-Gelof era continues to look like more of the same old 2023 A’s, though the energy of the two youngsters do make the games much more watchable. Hopefully, the promised “New Oakland” A’s will show up soon and break this losing streak. Luis Medina will have the chance to help do this tomorrow for Game 2 of the series.