NewsUnheralded Outman emerging for A's
Oakland (20-30) at Chicago (25-26), 5:11 p.m. PT
By Mychael Urban / MLB.com
06/03/09 2:10 AM ET
CHICAGO -- Dallas Braden is the 25-year-old senior member of the A's starting rotation and the Opening Night starter. Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill are the 21-year-old U.S. Olympians who earned jobs in their first trip to big league Spring Training. Quite the hyped prospect himself, Vin Mazzaro, 22, joined them to make his big league debut Tuesday after dominating for two months at Triple-A. Where does that leave relatively unsung Josh Outman, a 24-year-old rookie left-hander who'll start Wednesday in the third game of a four-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field? He'll have to settle for being Oakland's best pitcher at the moment. "Josh is a stud," Braden said. "Capital S-T-U-D." A's manager Bob Geren made a quick stop at the Waffle House when asked if he agreed that Outman has been his best starter over the past month. Smothering his answer with qualifiers, he'd concede only that Outman has been "one of" the best. A quick stop at the House of Statistics, however, turns the qualifier on its head. Outman, acquired in the trade that sent Joe Blanton to the Phillies last summer, went 2-0 with a 2.46 ERA in six May starts. Braden went 1-3 with a 4.87 ERA in six starts; Anderson went 2-3 with a 6.35 ERA in five starts; and Cahill went 2-3 with a 3.89 in six starts. "He's been very good," Geren said when pressed. "Every time he pitches, I feel like if we get a few runs, we're going to win." Braden, as he is wont to do, takes it a step further in his own colorful way. "You end up with a name like 'Outman,'" he said last week. "What else are you going to do? You're going to get people out, man." Pitching matchupOAK: LHP Josh Outman (2-0, 3.06 ERA)
Outman had a solid outing on Friday against the Rangers, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings, his second-longest outing of the season. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts. His previous high this season was six on May 19 versus Tampa Bay. Outman has a two-game winning streak and a 1.71 ERA over his past four starts. Having debuted with the A's last September, Outman has never faced the White Sox. CWS: LHP Clayton Richard (2-0, 3.38 ERA)
The one-time temporary rotation replacement for Jose Contreras has become the most consistent starter among the five. Richard gave up two runs on six hits over seven innings during the White Sox 11-2 pasting of the Royals on Friday. He struck out seven and walked one. In four trips to the mound as a starter, Richard has given up 19 hits in 23 1/3 innings while striking out 20 and walking 10. He also has a 2.70 ERA during that stretch. Richard has thrown one scoreless inning in his career against Oakland and has a 2-1 record with a 4.11 ERA when pitching at U.S. Cellular Field. Dribblers ...
Second baseman Mark Ellis, on the disabled list with a strained left calf, ran without any problems before batting practice Monday and later suggested there's nothing he couldn't do in a game. The bad news is that Ellis, who originally was placed on the 15-day DL on April 29, was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 20 to make room on the 40-man roster for lefty reliever Craig Breslow. "We needed a player," Ellis said with a shrug. He isn't eligible for activation until June 28. Geren said Ellis soon could be sent out to play some rehab games in the Minor Leagues. ... Jack Cust (back tightness) started his fourth straight game at designated hitter on Tuesday, but Geren said Cust should be ready to play in the outfield as early as Wednesday. ... Outfielder Travis Buck, on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique since May 30 and eligible for activation June 16, is not being allowed to swing the bat -- no tee work, no cage work, nothing -- but he remains convinced he could have played through the injury. He had three hits, including a home run, in the first game of a doubleheader at Texas on Friday, but he asked to sit out the nightcap for fear of tearing the muscle and was placed on the DL the following day. He played catch in front of the dugout with Geren during batting practice Tuesday and said he was pain-free. ... Geren said he wasn't sure if infielder Nomar Garciaparra (strained right calf) has started running yet but said he was "very hopeful" Garciaparra would be ready to play when he's eligible for activation from the 15-day DL on June 8. More likely, Garciaparra will be sent out for a rehab assignment to see if his calf can handle regular activity. Tickets
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• Thursday: Athletics (Brett Anderson, 2-5, 5.70) at White Sox (Mark Buehrle, 6-1, 2.71), 11:05 a.m. PT
• Friday: Athletics (Dallas Braden, 4-5, 3.63) vs. Orioles (Jeremy Guthrie, 4-4, 4.86), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Saturday: Athletics (Trevor Cahill, 2-5, 4.33) vs. Orioles (TBD), 6:05 p.m. PT
Mychael Urban is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
