'Pen seeking answers amid 'ebbs and flows'

TORONTO -- The A’s entered September remaining in strong contention for a fourth straight postseason appearance. If they can’t solve their bullpen issues quickly, though, those playoff aspirations may soon start to slip away.

A concerning trend from A’s relievers continued in Saturday afternoon’s 10-8 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. With the offense fighting its way back from an early four-run deficit to enter the bottom of the seventh trailing by just a run, another late-inning meltdown ensued.

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Over the game’s final two innings, the trio of Jake Diekman, Lou Trivino and Burch Smith combined to allow six runs. In a matter of minutes, a one-run deficit ballooned to a seven-run hole.

As the A’s sunk further behind the Blue Jays, it was hard not to get flashbacks from Friday night’s heartbreaking loss, when the bullpen squandered away two leads in what became a gut-wrenching walk-off defeat.

Those late runs allowed on Saturday ended up looming large after the A’s nearly stormed their way back with five runs in the ninth on a pair of home runs by Mark Canha and Sean Murphy before ultimately falling short.

“It wasn’t a very good feeling coming into today,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “We got off to a slow start and were down big. To be able to come back and put up a crooked number in the ninth would lend for some confidence going into tomorrow. It was nice to be able to battle back.”

Six has usually been the magic number for the A’s this year. They’re 42-6 when their offense scores at least six runs in a game. However, four of those six losses have now come in their last nine games, often after the bullpen could not keep the game close.

The bullpen struggles extend further. Over their last 13 games, A’s relievers are 2-6 with seven blown saves and a 7.58 ERA (39 runs allowed in 46 1/3 innings).

“You go through the ebbs and flows of a season,” Melvin said. “Sometimes you’re good, and sometimes you end up giving up some runs. We’re just not getting our timing right at this point with timely hits and being able to hold the other team down.”

There was a point in the season where the bullpen was considered one of Oakland’s strengths. But as the relievers have had to increase their workload over the past month, the production has diminished. No A’s reliever has seen a rougher fall than Trivino.

Moved out of the closer role last month after a stretch in which he allowed go-ahead runs in the ninth in three straight outings, Melvin has searched for opportunities for Trivino to regain his confidence by bringing him on during situations in which the A’s are trailing. So far, that strategy has backfired.

Over the past two games, Trivino has allowed seven runs while recording just four outs. Both outings saw him begin an inning. Both ended without him being able to complete his assigned inning.

Trivino has now allowed 13 runs on eight hits and five walks over his last 3 2/3 innings pitched. This comes after a stretch from June 5-Aug. 20 in which he posted a 0.84 ERA and held opponents to a .188 batting average across 31 appearances.

So what has changed from then to now for Trivino?

“Obviously, there’s a lack of command in what he’s doing,” Melvin said. “I was trying to get him in a down game to get him to throw some strikes and get back to doing what he was doing. He just couldn’t find the right arm slot today. Just pressing a little too much right now.”

Despite the tough last two games, the A’s remain encouraged by the competitiveness they’ve continued to show. At the same time, with only 26 games left and the deficit in the American League Wild Card standings now at four games behind Boston for the second spot, the sense of urgency will only keep heightening.

“Absolutely there is [urgency],” said A’s right fielder Chad Pinder. “There’s no denying that, especially at this point in the season. But as big as that is, you really do have to take it one day at a time and try not to scoreboard-watch. Take care of what you can take care of. Focus on what we have in front of us, and that’s tomorrow’s game.”