Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren would love to see a
first-inning rally such as Friday’s repeat itself come April. Texas
Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson walked Hideki Matsui to put runners
on first and second with two outs. Kevin Kouzmanoff followed with a
three-run homer to left field. That accounted for the Athletics’
only runs in a 6-3 loss at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, but the
scenario was encouraging for Geren.
PHOENIX
Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren would love to see a first-inning rally such as Friday’s repeat itself come April.
Texas Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson walked Hideki Matsui to put runners on first and second with two outs. Kevin Kouzmanoff followed with a three-run homer to left field.
That accounted for the Athletics’ only runs in a 6-3 loss at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, but the scenario was encouraging for Geren.
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It’s conceivable opposing pitchers will walk Matsui — the Athletics likely No. 5 hitter — often with a base open, given he poses the kind of threat that was missing from Oakland’s lineup last season. Geren is looking for someone to hit behind Matsui who can take advantage of such situations, and he’s mentioned Kouzmanoff, Kurt Suzuki and Mark Ellis as options.
“When guys get on base, it’s my job to hit them in,” Kouzmanoff said.
Kouzmanoff tied for the team lead in RBIs last season with 71, but he hit just .214 with runners in scoring position.
“That was a well-struck ball,” Geren said. “(Wilson) was trying to keep the ball down, and he kept the barrel underneath the ball.”
—Dallas Braden allowed four earned runs in three innings, and that was against a Rangers’ lineup minus Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre (out with a calf injury). None of them made the road trip with the defending American League West champs.
Wilson, the Rangers ace, went three innings and didn’t allow any other damage besides Kouzmanoff’s homer.
Braden still considered the outing a step forward over his exhibition debut Monday against the Angels.
“The velocity was up, and my arm felt 10 times better than the last time out,” Braden said.
His biggest mistake Friday came when he left an 0-2 fastball over the plate that Taylor Teagarden smacked for a two-run homer. He allowed five hits with one strikeout.
—Brandon McCarthy, fighting for the fifth starter spot, allowed one run over three innings with three strikeouts and no walks. He sandwiched two solid innings around a shaky one, as he threw two wild pitches in the fifth, the second of which allowed a run to score.
—Longtime manager Joe Torre, recently hired as Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations, was in attendance. Before the game, he chatted with Matsui, a member of his Yankees teams from 2003-07.
The 2003 season was Matsui’s first in the majors after moving from Japan. Torre never won a World Series during Matsui’s stint with the Yanks, but Matsui holds Torre in high esteem.
“He had so many stars and he got everybody to focus on the same goal,” Matsui said through interpreter Roger Kahlon. “He had a special influence on me coming over from Japan. He’s an important part of my life.”
—Andrew Bailey and Craig Breslow both threw 20-pitch batting practice sessions. Each will throw one more Monday before possibly appearing in a game later in the week. The A’s have been cautious with both by design.
Michael Wuertz felt good after throwing off the mound Thursday for the first time since experiencing shoulder soreness. He’ll have another bullpen session before facing hitters, so he’s a bit behind Bailey and Breslow.
All the pitchers, as well as Geren, have expressed confidence they’ll be ready for the April 1 season opener.
— Story by Joe Stiglich, Contra Costa Times
