News
Athletics happy to head home
Oakland (57-73) vs. Kansas City (50-80), 7:05 p.m. PT
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
08/30/09 8:40 PM ET
ANAHEIM -- After going 2-5 on a seven-game road trip, the A's will be happy to be back at home at the Coliseum when they host the Royals in a three-game series beginning Monday. But as manager Bob Geren noted, outside of their 9-1 loss Sunday, they weren't out of any of the other games they lost during the trip. Their second-worst loss came by four runs in a game in which Oakland led by four runs in the seventh inning against the Angels on Friday."The record on the road trip is not what we want, but we were in every game we were in," Geren said. "I think we're playing some good baseball. The idea that we're right there in every game is encouraging, especially for our young pitchers."
Another one of those young pitchers is set to start on Monday, as left-hander Gio Gonzalez will toe the rubber against fellow rookie Luke Hochevar. Gonzalez has started to figure it out at the Major League level. He has a 3.57 ERA over his past seven starts, with 44 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 40 1/3 innings. But Gonzalez now will be part of a six-man rotation that is designed to limit the innings of the team's younger pitchers, such as Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill. Gonzalez threw 157 innings last season while splitting time with Triple-A Sacramento and the A's, and he's thrown 128 frames this year between those two spots, so his innings have not been as much of a problem. But Geren doesn't want to chance overworking young pitchers, such as Gonzalez, who are set to be part of the A's rebuilding plans. "They're really getting great experience for next year," Geren said. "If you think about what's going to happen after the season, they're going to go home and let it all sink in and realize what they have to do to improve. They're going to come back next year and take off." Pitching matchupOAK: LHP Gio Gonzalez (4-5, 5.88 ERA)
Gonzalez, a 23-year-old rookie, carried a 3.06 ERA over his previous six starts into his Wednesday outing in Seattle, but he took a small step backward by allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings while losing his third straight start. Equipped with a plus curveball and a low-90s fastball, Gonzalez has had a hard time getting deep into games of late, working a total of 15 2/3 innings over his past three times out. He has not faced the Royals this year, and he gave up three earned runs in four innings against them last season. KC: RHP Luke Hochevar (6-7, 5.52 ERA)
Hochevar had a frustrating outing against Cleveland in his last start. Hochevar threw the ball well, but he took the loss after allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Indians capitalized on two walks, an error and a wild pitch, and Hochevar lost for a fourth straight time. Hochevar hasn't won since July 25 against Texas -- a game in which he allowed two earned runs in seven innings. After starting the season at Triple-A Omaha, Hochevar made his 2009 debut in Oakland on May 12. He lasted just two innings after giving up eight earned runs. He fared a little better on Aug. 8, surrendering four runs in seven frames. Tidbits
Geren said it's unlikely left-hander Dallas Braden will return to the club this season after being placed on the disabled list on Aug. 1 with a rash on his left foot. ... Catcher Kurt Suzuki and outfielder Scott Hairston both had the day off on Sunday. ... The A's are 4-1 against the Royals this season. Tickets
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• KTRB 860, KDIA 1640 (Español) Up next
• Tuesday: Athletics (Edgar Gonzalez, 0-1, 5.24) vs. Royals (Kyle Davies, 5-9, 5.94), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Athletics (Trevor Cahill, 7-12, 4.64) vs. Royals (Brian Bannister, 7-11, 4.60), 12:35 p.m. PT
• Thursday: Athletics (Brett Tomko, 3-2, 3.62) vs. Mariners (TBD), 7:05 p.m. PT
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
