OAKLAND – Normally, a day away from home can upset the mojo of a club crossing a stretch as impressive as the A’s were found. But even an unexpected day off could not cool the hottest baseball team.
Returning to action after Monday’s game postponement, the A’s continued their dominance run sweeping a double header against the Twins with a pair of closures. A gem thrown by Sean Manaea in a 7-0 win in the first game was followed by a strong start from Jesus Luzardo in a 1-0 win in the second game, scoring only the third time in Oakland history the A’s wiped out both double-headed games. and the first time since September 9, 1974, when Vida Blue and Catfish Hunter combined the Royals with two closures. Of course, those games were nine-entry competitions as opposed to the seven-entry rule for this season’s starters.
The win in the second game extended the A’s winning streak to 10 games, which is now the longest streak among the Seniors this season. During this ten-game stretch, the starting pitchers have shone, going 7-0 with an ERA 2.09 in 56 innings.
“I would say we are motivated by seeing each other,” Luzardo said. “I see all these guys do well and we just say, ‘Iron sharpens iron.’ When it goes well for them, you don’t want to be a weak nexus. You have to go out there and do your thing. We all feel the same. way and we have a lot of fun doing it ”.
Luzardo has not yet reached the level of ace that the A expected. The 23-year-old left-hander is struggling with the inconsistencies most young pitchers of his caliber face at the start of his career. But outings like the one he presented Tuesday night are the ones that keep Oakland’s confidence that Luzardo could be on the line of a breakthrough this season.
Facing the minimum through four innings, Luzardo did a quick job of the twins, allowing just two hits and a walk with six hits in 5 1/3 innings. His electric arm was on full screen, with his final release a 96.7 mph fast ball that Ryan Jeffers went through strike three.
On Tuesday there were many different things about Luzardo, and not just because of his release. Coming off the shortest start of his career, in which he allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings against the D-backs last week, Luzardo decided to change it. He left his contacts and took his glasses back to the mound, something he had done for all his appearances before this season, which dates back to his Little League days. He also changed his opening song to Bryant Myers ’“ WOW, ”the song he used in 2020 before playing with a few different tunes earlier this season.
“I just felt like I was moving away from myself,” Luzardo said. “It simply came to our notice then. Now, I’m back to myself. “
Luzardo’s fastball can be a beautiful thing when it works. Feeling good control over the twins, he made the most of it, throwing it at 60 percent of his throws and generating nine clowns, the maximum he had in any of his throws.
Seth Brown, who provided the only offense needed for the A’s with a single RBI against Jose Berrios in the fourth, has seen Luzardo at his best as the two worked the organizational system together in the minor leagues. From his vision as a right-back on Tuesday night, the left-hander increasingly resembled the promising future star that has been announced in recent years.
“She is OK. When he does his stuff around here, it’s fun to see him, ”said Brown. “As you get into your role and your pace, it’s fun to be a part of it.”
The dazzling heater, which reached a top speed of 99.1 mph, to highlight an impressive four-step mix, is just one part of the equation that makes Luzardo so special. It has another quality that is not taught: endurance.
Luzardo’s rebound from a tough start last week was not the first case that showed that shot. Two of his four unbeaten outings last season also came after difficult outings in which he allowed four runs and six runs.
“He’s very talented and has a lot of confidence,” said Bob Melvin, A’s manager. “It simply came to our notice then. But it seems that when he has a hard game, he comes back and responds ”.
Luzardo even defended some external adversities. During the fifth inning with an outside and a runner on, Luzardo and his teammates were told to leave the field by the referees after a light tower went out on the upper deck of the Coliseum, similar to the problem. which took place on May 7, 2019., when the lights went out before Mike Fiers threw a non-batter later that night.
Keeping his arm warm by throwing 12 pitches into the bullring, Luzardo overcame a 25-minute delay and withdrew three of his last four batters, two per attack.
“It simply came to our notice then. It had never happened to me, ”said Luzardo. “I had heard that it was 2019 and Fiers launched a no-hit, so that was the joke. I’m glad I entered the game. “